


The Alchemist at Icaerys Academy

by defyinggravity1992



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Airbending, Earthbending, F/F, Firebending, LGBT, Magical school, Psychics, Waterbending, alchemist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-23 20:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15614457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defyinggravity1992/pseuds/defyinggravity1992
Summary: Not your average magic high school fic. Erin is a typical teenage boy, until his mother’s death leaves him a rather - unusual - inheritance.——Hearing others’ thoughts can be… difficult.”  There was a pause; the Psychic shifted her weight anxiously on the plush armchair.  “Do you have any ideas as to which family you’ll join?”“Family?”“The Benders call it a team, and some of the Animagi consider it a pride.  Bless has them all crazy about lions.”Rachelle’s eyes crinkled as she laughed softly.  “But we Psychics know better.  The ties we make do not end when we leave Icaerys.  We aren’t chosen for these ‘teams;’ we are adopted.”I liked the idea, but it wasn’t so simple. As an Alchemist, there was no team, family, or pride designed for me. Eventually, I would have to make a choice.





	1. Erin

I’d never lived what you’d call a sheltered life. My father was the Chief Undersecretary to the Minister of Defense, and so I knew more about wars and rebellions than any middle school kid should. I could tell you how many people died in the Syrian uprisings of 2013, the Egyptian crises of 2012, and you shouldn’t get me started on the Iraqi/Iranian wars. It was all a filing cabinet of well-stocked information, organized into crisp little boxes of destruction. Death had not touched me, until the summer between my middle and high school years. That was the summer my mother was hit by a drunk driver, and Dad decided it would be better if I attended a private, governmental academy for the next five years.

I naturally assumed the two events were correlated.

I remember standing at my mother’s funeral, watching hundreds of people jostling around in their black or navy-blue suits. Why couldn’t they stay still for one minute? My mother was always telling me to keep calm, not to pick my nails or tap my shoes on the marble floors. These people made so much noise that I wanted to scream for it all.

 

At last it was over, and she was in the ground, in that gorgeous little box. And suddenly, all the filing cabinets in the world couldn’t hold back my anger. That night I tore clean through every file I’d accumulated over the last three years. The statistics were turning into real people, and I hated them for it. These numbers couldn’t be real people; the pain would be too much.

My father never mentioned this episode of rage, but the next morning he told me about Icaerys Academy. I looked up from my eggs and toast and saw that he had put down his newspaper. My father read the Tribune day in and day out, cover to cover, even the advertisements. It was, I imagined, a part of his job.

“Erin, I’m considering the options for your schooling next year,” he said succinctly. This was a bit of a surprise.

“I thought Oak Island was –”

“Oak Island is a very good charter school, that’s true,” he admitted. “But I thought you’d want to hear about an alternative that has opened up.” I leaned forward, and for once, no one told me to take my elbows off of the table.

“The place is named Icaerys Academy. It’s a secure, state-run institution with an excellent reputation for the arts and sciences. Some of its graduates go on to be published scientists, best-selling writers, and lead operatives.” 

“Is it a military academy?”  
“Do you think I’d send you to one of those?” He knew that I didn’t want to go to war, to his delight. “No, I thought you needed a few years to determine what you’d want to study. They’ve got some of the most highly skilled professors of any high school I’ve ever seen. They see guest lecturers from just about every continent, and the headmistress has a list of credentials longer than my address book.” He chuckled a little at this; I stretched my mouth into a smile.

“If it’s so great, why would they want me?” I hadn’t worked particularly hard in school. I liked to read, but tests and problem-solving were a pain in the neck. My teachers said I lacked motivation; I said they lacked imagination.

“Because you’re my son,” my father said flatly. “And I’ve just performed a favor for the school that you don’t need to know about.” I took him at his word.  
Somebody at the school must have committed fraud, or lied in their paperwork, and my dad had made it vanish for them in order to get me a spot. 

“Cool,” I said, because I could think of nothing else. “When will I start?”  
That is approximately as much involvement as I had in my placement at Icaerys Academy. That next week, my father’s intern came to help me pack for the semester. Jessica, as she was called, helped to separate everything in my room into what was staying and what was going. In the end, it all felt very bare; no Spiderman posters left on the wall or Legos under the bed. I began to have doubts about this far-away-school deal, but there was no way I could back down now. That wasn’t how things worked in my family.

On the last day of August, Jessica drove my father and me to the train station while my father’s driver took his sick-leave. I boarded my first solo train-ride with some anxiety, but I’d departed this station with my mother plenty of times. I kept hold of my luggage tags and ate my sandwich at twelve-thirty, and before I could finish the second Harry Potter book, I had arrived at my destination. 

The car that was to meet me was not late, as I had feared, and so I immediately found the sign with my alias. “Tyler Rose” it was this time, and I didn’t ask why. In the weeks following Mum’s passing, my father had gotten a little more paranoid than usual. We used to use the same alias – plain, boring “Smith” – every time, but now he gave me two names and never wrote them down.

“Mr. Rose, good afternoon,” said the driver with an obnoxious little smile. I’d grown out of pretend-play years ago. Nevertheless, I couldn’t afford to lose my temper with the man who was to give me a ride to the next stage in my life.

“Good afternoon, sir. My luggage should be around shortly.” That it was, thank God. We were soon off, driving clean through the city and past many miles of farmland. 

I began to wonder if Icaerys Academy really existed, or if I was being kidnapped and taken to a remote location – growing up in my family would lead you to believe in these things – when we saw the illustrious wrought-iron gates that spiraled up to read “Icaerys” at their center. They weren’t decorative; I saw that these gates stretched into an iron fence that ran as far as I could see around the property. I didn’t take much notice of it; some high schools needed extra measures of security. After the driver passed through some kind of radio-sensor, we were given entrance, and continued driving down the tree-lined driveway until we arrived at a tall, brick-fronted building.

“Thank you very much,” I said politely as I could while the driver pulled my luggage from the trunk. He gave me an enthusiastic handshake and climbed back into the car, leaving me at the front of the house. I didn’t have much time to look around, because the moment I took my eyes off of my bags…

They started levitating off the ground.

As my brown tweed suitcases began a slow amble around the side of the house, I followed quickly behind. Convinced this was a dream, I pinched myself until there was a small bruise below my left bicep. Then, a voice from the front, where we’d just come.

“Liam! Torr! Put those down!” A woman of forty, maybe fifty years old was rushing down the steps, brandishing a white baton that made her look like a witch of some fairytale. Instantly, my luggage clattered unceremoniously to the grass. “Now get out of here!” She must have had better vision than mine, because I only saw the back of the kids’ heads as they darted away. They ran so fast, it seemed as if they were flying.

“Now, you’ll be Erin, then?” I nodded and stuck out my hand for her to shake. “I’m Headmistress Ward, and I’ve got your room assignment and class schedule lined up,” she said in that voice that adults use when they want you to pay attention. I made myself focus on her face and not my new surroundings. “Let’s get you set up in a cabin.”

As we walked, she rolled one of my cases and I carried the other, listening as she explained about life at Icaerys Academy.

“We have classes from nine o’clock in the morning to four in the afternoon, with lunch and a recess at midday. You’ll have English and whatever languages you choose, I’ve not signed you up for any yet, so you can decide.” I glanced at the list; it was some twenty choices. “Then there’s literature, history – again, you’ll decide which history – maths beginning at the algebra level, sciences start at human anatomy, and your recess, which we’ll explain about later. It’s a sort of independent study block, but not like study halls you’ve had before, I’m sure.”

“The room locations, where –”

“Many of our classes meet outdoors, except for maths and sciences. I’ll show you around the grounds so that you have a general idea before classes tomorrow. Now, this will be your cabin. You’re in Denari, yes?” I nodded. “You’ll probably be getting a new assignment in the coming week. It’s not often that we have new students, so I’m afraid you’ll be without a room-mate until we get you sorted out.” 

“What does that mean? Are there no other freshmen?”

“Of course there are other freshmen.” Headmistress Ward patted my arm reassuringly. “It’s just that your placement was unforeseen, so the others have moved in and become acclimated already.” I must have looked embarrassed by this, for she continued.

“Oh, it’s quite all right, dear. Everyone finds their niche at Icaerys. We’ll just see where you belong, and you’ll be able to live with people who share your abilities and your aptitude for learning.” Using the key she gave me, I unlocked the door, and stepped gingerly into my new room. There lay a thick blue carpet, the color of sea foam, and the walls were papered in a dull orange-cream. At least it’s clean. 

“Now, then,” Headmistress Ward continued, leaving my suitcase at the foot of the four-poster bed. “To the grounds.” 

We walked from building to building, and now I let my eyes wander freely. The lay-out was simple enough: the groundskeeper’s cottage, the doctor’s chateau, three recreational fields, four cabins, the gardens, and the academic hall. 

Nonetheless, I was getting a strange sense of excitement about this place. It didn’t feel like a school.

“Where are all the kids?” I found myself asking, in the middle of her description of the gardens.

“Hm?” the headmistress tilted her head until her tight bun of hair leaned off to the side like the top of a melting ice-cream cone. “Oh yes, they’ll be in the Forest Field, at the Games. Each year we have Start-of-term Games, a sort of tournament between the different teams. There’s a trophy that goes to the cabin of whichever team wins.”

“Nice!” I’d never been particularly good at sports, but I loved watching. “What do they play? Basketball? Football? Rugby?”

“Something like that,” she said with a small, unfathomable smile. “You’ll get to see them play later, if you’d like. For now, I thought you might be hungry.”

So I had an early supper with the headmistress of my new school, and that was an odd experience. At my old school, I saw the headmaster once, maybe twice while I was there. He showed up to games sometimes, to cheer on the basketball team or give the footballers some encouragement, but he’d never spoken to me. 

Headmistress Ward was nice enough, and I didn’t mind listening to her stories, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more that she wasn’t telling me.

“May I be excused?” I said when we’d finished.

“I suppose so,” she said, glancing at the clock. “It will be getting dark in an hour or so. I don’t suppose you’ll have time to make it to the Field for the Games, after all.” This didn’t faze me.

“I don’t mind walking back in the dark!”

“It’s not a matter of what you mind. We can’t be losing a student so early in the year.” She chuckled. “Besides, there’s always next year.”

That was the absolute wrong thing to say to a fourteen-year-old who just attended his parent’s funeral. For me, there was no ‘next year’. There might not even be a next week, for all I knew. 

So it was that the minute I had waved goodbye to her and gone into the cabin, I turned right back around and took off sprinting for the path to the woods.

The forest path was well-marked, but the canopy of treetops screened most of the light that would have come down to shine on my way. I squinted to see to dodge the tree roots before me, until I heard a great cheer that told me I was headed in the right direction.

This wasn’t an organized, planned cheer. They shouted no team names, and I couldn’t make out the words they were yelling. To me, it sounded like raw enjoyment, emotion made verbal.  
I loved it.

I came upon the Forest Field just as the sun was edging its way over the horizon. It was less of a field and more a valley, such as no one could play football on without a serious disadvantage to one team. However, they weren’t playing football. 

They couldn’t be.

I’d never seen a game of football where three of the players flew over the heads of the others.  
Furthermore, there seemed to be animals in this game. As I moved between the bleachers filled with shouting students, I saw two wolfish dogs, a great white cat, and …

“Is that a lion?” Now I was absolutely sure I was dreaming. The girl I’d asked ignored me, rapt in the action of the Games.

I stood against the railing and watched the lion stalk back and forth under one of the hovering characters. Around her neck, she wore a hoop of bright copper. The boy above the lion darted from side to side, and I figured he was trying to dislodge the hoop. At one point, he dove, reaching for her neck, but she jumped high into the air.

And she never came down. Rather, I sat amazed as the lion vanished, and in her place, an eagle flapped its great wings. The flying boy took a fall then, crashing to the ground. 

One of his teammates, a girl with long black hair who had been fighting on the ground, stretched out her arms in his direction. She’s too far away to catch him, I thought stupidly. But I could soon see that her objective was never to catch him. 

Rather, the ground under him dipped inward at her gesture, as though she was punching dough to make bread. The ground itself dipped down to catch the boy, and when his teammate drove her fist up into the air, it launched him back up again like a trampoline. 

All of this happened so quickly, I found myself believing it was real.

The eagle in the sky now had a new objective. It held the hoop in its talons, but I was starting to see that defense was never its game. It circled the Field once, flashing copper all around, and then dropped the ring. The crowd around me took up another roar, and this time I heard an identifiable name.

“Sam!” they cried. And I saw that the eagle hadn’t dropped it, exactly, but had tossed it to a boy on the ground. When that boy caught the copper hoop, he took off running, and as his right foot left the ground, he became a new creature, scaly with wings and talons. 

I didn’t bother asking if it was a dragon. Instead, I tried to find the first flying boy again. His companions, seemingly exhausted, were circling lower and lower. They stayed around the same spot, across the field from the black-haired girl, and I craned my neck to see what they hid there.

When they broke to chase the dragon, I could see a streak of brown rushing for the spot they had left unguarded. Seconds later, a whistle shrieked and the action stopped. 

The brown streak that was actually a fox was being lifted high by a group of teenagers – Were those kids just animals a second ago? – and when they threw the fox into the air, a small girl fell back into their arms. In her hands, she clutched a hoop of bright silver. 

The cheers were chaos itself, and my heart raced to hear it.


	2. Bless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So who’s on the dream team?” I asked.
> 
> “Bless, Kyrie, and Sam,” the Waterbender listed on her fingers. “There’s Remy and Dare as well, the wolves, but they mostly play defense. Bless was the lion you saw; I bet that scared your socks off.”   
> She chuckled. “She’s one of the gene-modified ones. When you can turn into like, a hundred animals, you kind of put every other team at a disadvantage.”
> 
> “A hundred?!” I gasped.
> 
> “Don’t exaggerate, Cat,” Her Firebender partner rebuked her. “Most Animagi only have one or two forms. Bless is... special.”

That night, I dreamed a menagerie. Lions, wolves, dragons… I dreamed of fire falling from the dark boy’s fists, and I dreamed a waterfall from the redhead which drowned me in a moment. I woke up drenched in sweat. I wasn’t afraid; that was the puzzling bit. I was exhilarated. 

I glanced at my alarm clock; two more hours until I could wake up. At breakfast, I could meet them. I lay back down and tried to wish away the prickling anticipation. I kept seeing their faces, the girl and boy who had been lions and eagles and dragons, holding the three hoops in victory. I doubted I would get to meet them, but it would be enough to maybe see them in classes. That would be enough. 

I even dared to hope I would get to be on their team. What animal would I be? I didn’t know if that was something I could be taught, but in my innocence, I wished to be a bright tiger, stalking through the jungle. This became a new dream, running with the lion and her dragon. The next time I awoke, it was morning and my alarm was singing.

Breakfast was served in the mess hall, crowded with all the kids who had been at the Field the day before. I made myself eat; the food was bland but not awful. I’d had worse. Once, my dad had brought us to Egypt with him, and I’d eaten all sorts of “delicacies” I swore I’d never again touch. The plain biscuit and limp eggs were the least of my worries. 

I sat at the edge of one of the long tables, one seat removed from a girl with a flame tattoo on her arm. Being new, I hoped she would say something to me. She didn’t.

“Err, hi,” I started. “I’m Erin. I’m new here.” She looked affronted that I’d interrupted their talk, but the boy across from her took pity on me.

“Hey,” he said warmly. I saw a tattoo similar to hers, a swirl of red and black, across his neck just above the collar of his shirt. “I’m Jesse.” 

He reached across to shake my hand and knocked over a glass of milk. I cringed, but the girl to his left waved it away. When I say she waved it away, I mean she actually waved her hand, and the milk returned to the glass. 

“Clumsy,” she rebuked him with a smirk before turning to me. “I’m Cat. What’s up?”

“Um, nothing, but c-could you tell me how –” My voice trailed away uselessly.

“How I moved the liquid?” she helped me out. I nodded mutely, feeling lame. 

“Don’t be ashamed; we’ve all been there. Bending is a science, but it’s also a natural talent.”  
As if to punctuate her words, Cat twirled her fingers, bringing the tea from her own cup into the air before me. It spun with her motions in a perfect circle.

“We learn to control the elements,” Jesse added. “But most of us specialize in one or another.” He gestured to the girl beside me. “Vienne and I are Firebenders at heart.” 

He pulled down his shirt collar, and I saw the way his flames twisted against tan skin.

“And what about the others? The Lion, the d-dragon?”

“Oh, the Animagi.” Jesse frowned. “They’re just a bunch of snobs. Most of them are gene-modified anyway, so when we play them, it’s like playing ball with a bunch of players on steroids.” 

I could sense his frustration building, so I decided not to ask about the ‘gene-modified’ part.

“So is everybody at this school a Bender or an Animagi?”

“An Animagus, and no,” Vienne spoke for the first time. “There’s a third group, the Psychics.” 

Her voice lowered to a gravelly whisper as she glanced at the table behind us. “They’re a little mysterious. All we know is that their talents aren’t physical. They’ve got something to do with the mind, the psyche. So they don’t compete in the Games.”

“Did you?” I hadn’t remembered seeing her, but I’d gotten there late, after all.

“I was in the first round, but my group went against the dream team,” Vienne said derisively. I didn’t have to ask who she meant.

“Bless, Kyrie, and Sam,” Cat listed on her fingers. “There’s Remy and Dare as well, the wolves, but they mostly play defense. Bless was the lion you saw; I bet that scared your socks off.”  
She chuckled. “She’s one of the gene-modified ones. When you can turn into like, a hundred animals, you kind of put every other team at a disadvantage.”

“A hundred?!” I gasped.

“Don’t exaggerate, Cat,” Jesse rebuked her softly. “Bless has five forms. Kyrie’s got three, and Sam’s just got the one, but it’s a pretty damn impressive one.”

“Impressive,” I echoed. “He’s a dragon. Is that even legal?”

“What about this school makes you think any of us are legal?” Vienne chuckled darkly. “Headmistress Ward moved heaven and earth with the government to make us disappear. We just can’t leave the school grounds ‘til we’ve graduated and they’ve ‘placed’ us.”

“My old room-mate, Jen, was placed into a meteorology program in the Netherlands,” Jesse offered meekly. “Cause she was a Waterbenderl. She sends me postcards and care packages sometimes.”

“Yeah, that’s great, Jess,” Cat shoved him playfully. She looked up, past us, and I noticed the kids behind us were starting to pick up their trays and push in their benches. “Like a damn clock, those Psychics are.”

“What class do you have first?” Jesse asked, taking my schedule.

“First-level literature, with Professor Daily. That one’s inside, in Room 128.”

“Ha, that’ll have mostly Animagi in it,” Cat smirked. “They never make an effort in any of the sit-down classes, so they’ll just fool around. Good luck paying attention. Have you got any upper-levels?”

“Not yet. I’m still a freshman!”

“Well, try your hardest to get into an advanced class. You don’t want to be stuck with the Animagi. If you ask nicely, maybe you can switch into our class.”

“I’ll try.” But I was nervous. Maybe the professor wouldn’t take kindly to me wanting out of their class on my first day.

Professor Daily was an olive-skinned, petite lady with black hair that fell in curls around her head like a protective barrier. She greeted me warmly, and I asked if there was a placement test I could take. I lied, saying lit had been my best subject at home.

“We’ll see about getting something set up,” she said with a smile. 

I immediately regretted those words when I saw a crowd of what were undoubtedly Animagi rushing in. I say undoubtedly Animagi because they were crowded around the main characters of my dream.

“Settle down, everyone,” Professor Daily said indulgently. “Now, we’ve got a fresh term ahead of us, and I know you’ve enjoyed your month off, but now it’s time to get to work.” She didn’t seem at all fazed to have older repeat-students in her class. “Please open your anthologies to page forty-seven, and we’ll read aloud.” I expected groans, but the students happily complied. So far, they weren’t at all like the Benders had described them. I resolved to ask them why they all stayed in lower-level classes, if I got the chance.

“Romeo and Juliet, one of William Shakespeare’s most famous works,” Professor Daily announced. “Let’s get to assigning roles. Who would like to read Romeo?” I glanced around at the handful of guys in the class. 

A few hands flickered hesitantly, but they suddenly dropped. I looked back around and saw that Bless had her hand extended. I glanced nervously around, maybe she doesn’t know that Romeo is a dude? But the unmistakable Look on the Animagus’s proud, Black face said otherwise.

“Very well, Bless will be Romeo. And for Juliet?” Now the girls in the class were looking at each other nervously. I could only guess they didn’t want to read alongside her.

To this day, I’ll never know why my hand went up.

“Yes, thank you, Erin.” Professor Daily made another mark in her script. “And for Tybalt?” A few girls raised their hands, but they fell back down when Kyrie raised hers. 

“Thank you. And for Rosalind?” 

Sam raised his. If I’d expected laughter at a brawny, blond dragon-boy reading for Romeo’s spurned lover, I was sorely mistaken. It seemed that whatever the dream team decided, the rest of their class followed suit. The casting went on this way, and before long, we were reading.

I may not have been the best student, but I sincerely enjoyed drama. Bless was easy to listen to – she had a low, sultry voice that gripped you and pulled you out of reality. Onstage, I’m sure the tall, beautiful Animagus would have everyone believing she was in love with me by the second act. 

In Professor Daily’s classroom, however, our time was finite. Before long, we heard the tolling of the great bell that signaled a class change. I could only watch the Animagi of the dream team saunter out of the room, feeling halfway left-out, before I had to rush down the hall for science.

The next few hours passed as uneventfully as a first day ever could; my next two classes were with the Psychics. Unlike the Benders or the Animagi, these kids seemed more quiet and reserved. 

I sat next to a shy-looking girl in an oversized sweater in human anatomy, only to hear her declaim every element in the body by percentage, without glancing at the page. Other than their freakish intelligence, I found the Psychics a little boring.

The moment I had this thought, I regretted it instantly. A few of them rolled their eyes openly at me, as if I’d blurted it out loud. 

I could feel my face flush with heat, and I wished desperately to be in a class with my new friends. When it was time to pair up for an activity, I felt ready to crawl into a corner.

“Erin,” said one of the girls behind me. “Come partner with me.” I gratefully slid into the empty chair next to her, and we set about designing a model of skin layers. It was quiet work, at least in this class. She worked, and I tried to make myself small against her Rubenesque figure.

“Why isn’t anyone talking?” I asked my mysterious new friend in a whisper.

“Many of us don’t have to,” the Psychic replied, her voice quiet but clear. “One of the first thing Psychics learn is how to communicate with each other. On the rare occasion one of us just can’t hear another’s thoughts, we teach them as much as we can and help them along.” She pursed her lips in thought. “But that hasn’t happened in quite a while.”

“So when did you realize you were a Psychic?” She smiled; she’d known I was going to ask.

“When I was eleven, I had a crush on the boy down the street. When we were walking to the park one day, I heard him say that I was pretty. Except that he’d never said it, not with his voice. So when I told him thank you, he stuttered and mumbled that he had to go home. We were never close after that.” 

I looked down at the ground, imagining a chubby child with ocean-blue eyes, rejected for her uncanny abilities. You didn’t have to be a Psychic to know how that must have felt.

For a moment, sadness flickered through her blue eyes. “I’m Rachelle, by the way.” I shook her hand, and she smiled. “You’re unassigned. There’s a fair chance you could be a Psychic.” This time, I was better at hiding my feelings. 

“You all seem … really smart,” I whispered. “I’m not a genius or anything, so I don’t know –”

“Don’t be fooled. It’s easier than it looks.” I could tell she wanted to say more, but something – maybe some dark Psychic secret she had to keep quiet – kept her from saying more. “We’d better get working.”

It turned out that ‘us’ working consisted of Rachelle assembling our model while I sat there and tried to think more quietly. 

I never knew when something offensive would fly into my head. It wasn’t that I was a mean guy, necessarily; there were things I would never say out loud, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking them… Could I?

I sat next to Rachelle again in maths, which was held on the lawn – my first outdoor class of the day. 

It was unlike any maths class I’d ever taken. The professor, a little Bohemian man in a multi-color suit-jacket, passed out several pieces of pipe, and our assignment for the day was to figure out what they were and how they connected. 

“Some of the teachers here value practical knowledge more than written expressions,” Rachelle answered the question in my thoughts. “Especially for us, since we spend so much time and energy outside of the practical world as it is.” I wanted to ask her about what ‘outside’ meant, but we were getting enough sideways glances as it was.

“Do they hate me because I’m not Psychic?” I asked aloud as Rachelle swiftly moved the lead pieces apart and together. 

“I doubt it. They just fear the unfamiliar. When you grow up as we do, relating to common people can be… difficult.” There was a pause. “Do you have any ideas as to which family you’ll join?”

“Family?”

“The Benders call it a team, and some of the Animagi consider it a pride. Bless has them all crazy about lions.” 

Rachelle’s eyes crinkled as she laughed soundlessly. “But we Psychics know better. The ties we make do not end when we leave Icaerys. We aren’t chosen for these ‘teams;’ we are adopted.” 

With that, she clicked the final pipe into place. The tiny professor came bounding up to check her work.

“Marvellous, well done,” he chattered. “Let’s take another five minutes to let everyone fin- Oh, you’re all finished already.” He absent-mindedly scratched at his receding hairline. “Does anyone have any ideas for a lesson? We still have ten or so minutes.”

“Observable patterns in behavior?” One of the boys suggested, pushing a pair of spectacles further up the bridge of his nose. The girls around him nodded in assent. It was the antonym of the reaction the Animagi would have given: I could imagine them whooping and hollering even in the middle of a maths lesson. 

With a quiet sort of sigh, I tried to pay attention to their observations. One Psychic would come to the center, and another would say something about him, and we were all supposed to guess from his reaction if it was true. 

“It’s not really fair,” I found myself whining to Rachelle. “I don’t know anybody here really well.”

“You won’t be required to answer,” she said kindly. “More than likely we’ll be observing you instead.” I shuddered a little at that. Luckily, the great bell rang before I was selected, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” I asked as we parted across the rolling green.

“Definitely.” Her serenity was contagious, and it followed me all the way to lunch.

The Icaerys lunch periods were like nothing I’d ever seen in my other schools. For one, these high schoolers were accustomed to a richer banquet than I’d had in months. The massive buffet tables contained foods from every culture, and I left with Mediterranean couscous, Louisiana jambalaya, a U.S. mini burger slider, and a feeling of elation. 

This feeling quickly melted when I beheld the long, intimidating tables, divvied almost exactly into small groups of Benders, Psychics, and at the very rear of the hall, Animagi. I almost trembled as I walked uneasily between the tables.

“Erin! Over here!” A flush of relief as I heard Cat’s shout. I gratefully sank into the space between her and the next Bender, a peaceful-looking young man with blue tattoos racing up his biceps.

“Hey, I’m Torr,” he said warmly. The name struck me as familiar.

“You and Liam were the ones who tried to steal my suitcase!” I exclaimed at last.

“Not steal,” he refuted with a grin. “Never steal. What would we want with it? We only wanted to drive the new guy toward our cabin.”

“How’d you do it, then?” I asked cautiously.

“Bent the air around it, of course,” he said as if it were the most natural thing. “Don’t need to lift the actual trunk to get it to move. Learn Airbending and you’ll see.” 

“So Airbending is another kind of Bending? Aside from Fire and Water?”

“Yeah,” Jesse answered. “Fire, Water, Earth, and Air.”

“Aristotle did get those right,” Cat chirped. “Torr and Liam are Air Naturals; Jesse and Vienne are Fire Naturals, and you already know me.” At her arrogant wave, my ice-water rose from my glass and raced through the air around us.

“Hey, give it back!” I called, but I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sure thing,” Cat countered, lowering the water with a strange crack! I saw that she’d frozen my water solid. With a groan, I stood to get another glass.

“Promise not to freeze this one?”

“Cross my watery heart,” she quipped coquettishly.

I crossed the hall of students, a new skip in my step, and so distracted that I ran into the queen herself. Bless was leaning across the beverage cart, her short curly hair falling into her eyes, and as she staggered back from the collision, I saw those deep brown eyes snap wide-open in alarm. We swung around almost comically as I tried to steady us, but my efforts only landed us on the floor with Bless collapsed over me.

“I’m sorry, oh I’m so sorry,” I was breathless as I looked up at her. The tall Animagus quickly rose to her feet, and to my surprise, offered her arm to pull me up. “I wasn’t paying attention and I just didn’t see you…”

“Well, I can honestly say I’ve never heard that before,” she said with an unfathomable smile. “Hey, you’re the one from English class, right? My Juliet?” I felt my face heat up as I nodded yes.

“That’s me.”

“A rose by any other name,” she said musingly. “You do have some thorns, though.” 

She rubbed the skin around her right shoulder, and I could see a bruise developing.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so, so sorry.”

“Don’t mention it.” Her eyes flashed as she flickered her eyelashes. “Really, don’t mention it. I’ve run with wolves and flown to the highest peaks. Nobody can know I got knocked over by a freshman who isn’t even an Animagus.” 

Laughter tugged at the edges of her eyes, and I nervously echoed it aloud.

“I won’t.” I lamely started to walk off, but she caught me gently by the arm.

“What’s your name, then?”

“Erin,” I answered, breathless as if I’d just fallen again. “I’m Erin.” Stupid.

“I’m Bless.” It was superfluous and she knew it. “You should sit with us tomorrow.” There was an unspoken command to this.

“But I already have some frien-”

“Dinner, then. Come on, at this point, you owe me.” 

“Okay; I guess I have no choice.”

“That’s right,” she said with a smirk. “So I’ll see you at dinner.”

“See you!” And with that, I turned smoothly away.

“Erin!”

“Yeah?”

“Weren’t you going to get a drink?” 

When I reached the Benders again, they were engaged in a deep conversation about the ethics of using Bending outside of the Academy. I barely heard what Cat was saying.

“Earth to Erin. Erin!”

“Yeah?” I answered sheepishly.

“Geez, you took forever over there. What happened; you get lost?”

“No, I tripped headfirst into Bless at the beverage cart.” 

The reaction was immediate. Jesse turned his laugh into a snort, but Vienne threw her head back contemptuously and fairly roared with it. Cat just stared.

“What do you mean, tripped into her?”

“I mean, I wasn’t watching where I was walking, and we sort of collided.” 

“And she let you out of it alive?”

“Come on, guys,” I protested. “She’s not so bad.”

“Not so bad?” Vienne nearly growled. “She’s an Animagus. The Animagus. Their queen bee.”

“Well, she invited me to sit with them tonight,” I countered defensively.

“Get out!” Cat cried. “By the spirits, you have to do it!”

“What?” Jesse and I replied in synchrony.

“You have to do it,” she repeated. “And come back and tell us all the stupid things she and the rest of the dream team do. It’ll be fun.”

“Hey, that’s pretty brilliant,” Vienne said with a dark laugh. “Say you’ll do it, Erin. Just this once.”

“Okay, okay,” I conceded. “Just this once.”

But once turned into twice, which turned into two weeks that I sat at the Animagi’s table, smushed between the royalty and their admirers.

Each night I listened rapturously as Bless, Sam, and Kyrie recounted their days. Each morning, we shared English class, which turned into one raucous debate after another between Bless and me, sometimes entwined with comments from Kyrie or another Bender. When we read aloud, as our teacher loved to do, Bless and I inevitably took one lead role or another. 

One night at dinner, I dared to ask her a question that had been on my mind for a long while.

“Why are you in the first-level English class?” I had asked too quietly; she beckoned for me to speak louder. “You’re a second-year, right? So why are you in the first-level?”

“For the same reason all of us take it,” she answered in a carefree tone. “We’re a pride. We stick together. When the slowest of us can pass to the higher levels, we’ll progress further. Until then, Professor Daily keeps us occupied the best she can.” 

I was struck with the nobility of it all. Cat and Vienne have them wrong, I realized. They’re not dumb; they’re loyal. 

During this revelation, Bless watched my face, the angle of her round face suggesting that I was the only one in the room. 

“Did you get anything good out of them?” Vienne asked at breakfast the next day.

“Nothing new,” I lied. “They’re not that different from us, really.” Her disappointment was cut off by a sudden dimming of the lights. At first I thought it was some Bender playing a prank, but the Firebenders around me looked as confused as I did. 

Then we saw Headmistress Ward approach the front of the hall. The few stragglers who had queued up for seconds of bacon and eggs sat down sheepishly to await her announcement.


	3. Headmistress Ward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To say the inspection was not going well was an understatement. The Headmistress’s face appeared so firmly set in a stern, hawklike expression that I began to wonder if we’d ever see her smile again.
> 
> “Did you hear anything about the missing students?” I asked the Animagus in a shaky whisper. Bless nodded gravely, and I noticed the dark bags under her usually bright brown eyes.
> 
> “What? How did you find out?”
> 
> “I went to the Headmistress myself. Turns out she’s been pulling students she thought might endanger the inspection. Sam, your Firebender friend, two of the Psychics; there were seven of them in her front room, tripping out on Benzos.”
> 
> “No way.”
> 
> But somehow I knew it was true; though I wasnew here, I could tell Bless knew more about the Headmistress than the rest of us.

“Silence, please! Thank you.” You would have heard a pin drop in that hall, despite the hundred-something students seated before her.

“As many of you know, the time is nearing for our annual inspection.” There were groans from every table; even the Psychics were shaking their heads in disgust. “For those of you who are new to us, this is a week where our – more special talents – must be hidden from plain sight. Icaerys has managed for several decades to maintain its appearance as an institution of repute in the eyes of visiting government inspectors, and it is of the utmost importance that we continue in this way. I should not have to stress to you the consequences you will face if this confidence is lost.”

I saw only apprehensive horror on the faces around me. Rachelle’s group of Psychics gazed beyond Headmistress Ward, as though seeing a terrible future reflected in the hall’s glass windows. Only Bless’s group seemed to hold their own, their eyes unwavering from the headmistress’s face. I felt again the familiar stab of jealousy, of longing to be one of them.

“I do not say this to scare you,” she continued in a kinder tone. “I merely want you to understand that when I say no Bending, no phasing, and no telepathy this week, I mean it.” 

She looked around at her students with the eye of a hawk. “Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The changes came immediately. Although the teams continued to sit and chat together and accompany each other to classes, I saw Psychics strike up conversation with Benders, and Animagi went out of their way to break up the cliques that usually formed. The dream team spoke of it at dinner the night before the inspectors were to arrive.

“We all remember last year’s inspection,” Kyrie had said breathlessly. “That was a close call on our side.”

“I don’t think we can be held totally responsible,” Bless said fairly. “The Benders must share some of the blame.” I did not ask what had taken place. I assumed if it was important, I would find out one way or another.

“Either way,” Sam’s deep voice broke through their tension. “We’ve got to keep it together this year. Our pride and the school’s safety depend on it.” 

There were general sounds of agreement across the table, but the group’s mood had lowered substantially.

That next morning, friends trickled into the great hall in pairs, and the chatter I’d come to expect in the past month of living at Icaerys was almost completely absent. I found Cat and the others huddled against a wall at a different table, surrounded by Psychics and Animagi alike.

“Erin,” Rachelle’s voice found me, and I saw my Psychic friend had come to sit at my left hand. “I’ve just seen the most terrible-”

Suddenly she was cut off by a dark look from Vienne.

“Rachelle, pass the salt, please,” the Firebender fairly growled, and I expected Rachelle to shy away, as I would have done. Instead, her manner was coolly leveled as she whisked it across the table. 

We passed the rest of breakfast in near-silence, until we’d all finished and were sitting there somber as a funeral. In fact, my mother’s funeral had seen more conversation. This thought disturbed me, so I spoke up.

“Do they really expect us to put up with a week of this?” I asked as plainly as I could without giving anything away.

“Last year it was five days,” Jesse answered glumly. “There was an incident the fifth day. I’ll tell you at lunch.”

But that wasn’t meant to be, for at lunch, Jesse was summoned to see Professor Jenkins, a science master, for “remedial studies”. We all knew Jesse was a straight-A student, so we didn’t speak of it. 

The government agents hovered distinctly around us, silent, black vultures waiting for us to stumble and fall. I never spent too long looking at them, these almost identical men and women. There were four of them; I could only imagine they had different personalities. They never appeared to smile or even speak. 

I glanced to the staff table, normally an oasis of calm in the midst of pandemonium. This day, it was almost empty.

“Where do you suppose they are?” I asked Cat. Her answer was cut off by an arrival to our table. Bless’s younger sister, Kyrie, stood before us, tugging at her freshly pressed uniform with some anxiety.

“Won’t you come to us, Erin?” she asked softly. 

I suddenly remembered one of the Animagi telling me that Kyrie’s first form, the first animal she’d phased into, was a white rabbit. I could see it now; her pale face held a subtle nervousness as if she might dart out of the hall at any moment.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized to Cat and Vienne. “I’ve got to run.” Trying to ignore their faces, I hurried past Kyrie to the table where several Animagi clustered together. 

“It’s Sam,” one of them, the wolf called Dare, said in a low growl. “He went to the headmistress’s office this morning and hasn’t come back.” 

I looked to Bless. The dragon’s girlfriend was gripping a breakfast knife as though it were a dagger. There was a tension behind her placid brown eyes that I’d never seen before.

“Jesse was taken too, for so called remedial studies. Do you think something happened to them?” I asked hollowly. 

Dare began to reply, but he was cut off as our table was eclipsed by the black shadow of the older male inspector. Nobody spoke for several seconds, until he passed to the next table.

“We’re not sure, okay?” Bless’s normally carefree voice was stricken. “Just ask your Psychic friend if her family’s heard anything. Please?” 

“Of course.” I would have jumped off the school’s astronomy tower if it would wipe the worry from Bless’s scared face. Once the coast was clear of the government agents, I darted back to our table.

“Rachelle,” I said, touching her shoulder to get her attention.

“Erin,” she answered coldly. Too coldly. What was happening?

“Listen, there’s something very wrong going on here. The Ani-”

“What concerns your friends doesn’t concern mine,” she snapped. This was so unlike her; I knew something was wrong.

“What is it?” I fairly whispered. “What’s happening all of a sudden?” 

“Not a thing, dear.” She never used terms of endearment. “Just a typical week at Icaerys Academy.” 

As if to slam another door in my face, the great bell rang just then, signaling the end of our lunch.

In the month that I’d spent at Icaerys, I had come to look forward to our afternoon recesses. They were times of relaxation and competition, and as one who was unattached to any particular team, I was free to travel among them and experience each new marvel. 

For the Psychics, who believed in the holistic entwinement of body and mind, this was usually yoga with the telekinetics. I had seen Solstice and her little brother, Syrah, play catch with great boulders while holding perfect Tree poses. 

The Benders spent every second they could training – Liam and Torr led the Airbenders against their natural opposites, the Earthbenders; Vienne and Jesse could be seen whipping younger Firebenders into shape when they weren’t being antagonized by Cat’s Waterbenders. 

Of course, the Animagi were the most exciting of them all. I learned from being around them that it was possible to discover a new form in oneself; I would never forget the day a young stag Animagus suddenly phased during a game of Ultimate Frisbee, and his friends were astonished to be running alongside a wild black bear.

The startled freshman had fallen to the ground, shaking in new muscles his body didn’t understand, until Bless bounded up to him in her second form, an Alaskan husky. Bear met dog in a flash of fur, and I thought they would come to fighting before he rolled onto his side, holding her, and quietly phased back into his human form. Bless lay with him a while longer, and had I not known better, they might have been just another boy crying into the fur of his beloved dog.

This recess was nothing like those good days. The Benders lolled about on the grass, restlessly trying to come to consensus as to what they should do. Finally they decided on a simple footrace. 

The Psychics seemed to be sleeping, but as I stepped gingerly around two of them, I saw tears at the corners of their eyes. What the hell is happening? Rachelle was nowhere to be found. I chalked it up to the mysterious force that was stealing students away. 

The Animagi were perhaps the worst of them. They seemed too afraid to move. Bless was surrounded by her usual entourage, but as she reclined in Kyrie’s lap, she lacked any semblance of her usual verve.

“How goes it, then?” I asked, mimicking her speech with a smile.

“Absolutely dreadful,” she replied, but to my relief there were no tears on her ochre colored face. “We can’t play; we can’t even get excited about anything.”

“I know.” I made my face into what I approximated was a sympathetic look. “Listen, I tried to ask Rachelle about Sam, but she—”

“That’s all right, darling, we know.” She relaxed her head, and when she spoke, it was to the clouds above. 

“What? How did you find out?”

“I went to the Headmistress myself. Turns out she’s been pulling students she thought might endanger the inspection. Sam, your Firebender friend, two of the Psychics; there were seven of them in her front room, tripping out on Benzos.”

“She drugged them?” My voice was louder than I’d intended; Kyrie nudged me to keep quiet.

Luckily it seemed that the inspectors were preoccupied walking the entire length of the grounds; they were nowhere near us.

“Don’t look so judgmental, Erin,” Bless countered. “It was a voluntary offer. The headmistress may be strict, but she wouldn’t roofie her students.” 

She was right, but it didn’t ease the tightness in my stomach as I imagined Jesse or Rachelle lying lifeless on a couch for days.

“I wonder if she’d take volunteers for that,” said Dare’s mate, Remy, with gritted teeth. Bless gave him a look that could melt rubber, and he quickly continued. “For the Psyc-for the other kids, I mean. They seem to be really struggling with this.”

Indeed the Psychics in my science class were all kinds of nervous. As I listened to their conversation, I encountered some of the strangest dialogue I’d ever heard as these teens, so accustomed to wordless days, struggled to remember correct English.

“Pass me, um, beaker, there.”

“Not so – fast. Slowness, please.”

“Up. No! Lower, raise down.”

“How many, err, things? How many go here?” 

Their strange utterances would be funny, if not for the anguish on their solemn little faces. Rachelle had indeed been absent, and the rest seemed perturbed by the loss of their comforting classmate.

To make matters even worse, a somber darkness fell over the room; three of the four government agents lingered at the door to the classroom. To my chagrin, they decided to enter and observe us in our experiment.

Since Rachelle was out for the week, I had been working with Raj and Paloma, two master telekinetics who, during any other week, would have terrified me. 

Today, however, they were rendered harmless by the tangible panic that filled the room. Even Paloma, who was rumored to be able to control others’ decisions, could not control her own nerves; I saw her foot tapping continuously under the desk.

“Paloma, pass me the solution,” I said, louder than necessary. 

The younger female government agent was looming over our table like the memory of a bad dream, and this aggravated me more than it should have. The second-year telekinetic handed me the vial with shaking hands. 

“Thank you. Raj, record that we’re at 45 mL.” He did so, his fingers fumbling over the pencil. The agent made a note on her clipboard and passed to the next table. 

The last twenty minutes of science class felt as though I was moving through Jell-O, or else trapped behind a glass door through which nobody could hear me. 

I continued to order my lab-mates around, but they seemed grateful for the direction. Sweat beaded on Raj’s forehead, and I wanted to reassure him that everything would be okay. But that would have been a lie, and it was useless to lie to Psychics.

When we finally broke apart to leave for maths, I sank into the manicured grass like a soldier exhausted from hours of combat. It’s only the second day, I thought heartlessly. How will we ever make it to Friday?

We wouldn’t, it turned out.  
By way of taking our minds off of things, our little Bohemian professor had decided to integrate today’s lesson with physical exercise. We split into groups and solved algebraic formulae, easy enough. If we got an answer wrong, another group member would have to perform some physical feat: five laps around the field, jumping jacks, etc.

The problems began very simply; he could probably tell that many of his students were too unnerved to solve complicated equations. When it was my turn, he upped the ante, perhaps because he knew that the government agents were nearby.

“Erin, your equation is as follows, and your penalty will be to tuck and roll down the hill, there.” He gave what I’m sure was a cheerful smile, and rattled off the equation. I might not have been fighting a battle inside my mind, but I don’t think the Professor accounted for my poor maths skills.

“X is equal to …forty-eight?”

“Oh, sorry my dear, it’s twelve. I think you may have multiplied where you were meant to divide.” Realizing I had, I blushed bright red. 

The awful woman inspector made another mark on her clipboard, and I felt my hands knot into fists as I approached the edge of the hill. My class turned to face me, and without another look at them, I tucked and rolled down the hill.

How could Professor Henrique – how could any of us – have anticipated the falling tree that would crash down in my path?

I don’t remember the collision, but the expression on the school doctor’s face told me enough. She was shocked that I was alive.

“Out, get out!” I heard her say to the government agents, who had crowded unceremoniously around my bedside. It was the first time since they’d come to Icaerys that I’d heard someone speak so brashly to them. Nevertheless, they fled the room.

“Thank you,” I told her weakly.

“Hush, child,” she clucked, but her voice soon became serious. “I’ve called the headmistress; there’s something both of you need to hear.”

The throbbing in my head was greater than any I’d had before.

“May I have some pain medicine first?” I choked out. “Please?” Dr. Olwen shook her head.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea. For one, we need to monitor your progress. The pain may be uncomfortable, but it will tell us about your condition.” I was too frustrated to see the reason of this. But before I could retort, the door opened behind Dr. Olwen, and Headmistress Ward strode in, breathing as if she’d run from across the campus.

“Is it true, Domina?” she asked, ignoring me.

“I’m afraid so,” Dr. Olwen responded, and I couldn’t tell if she looked sad or angry. The pain was clouding my vision. “He showed no vitals at all for nearly three minutes.”

“Show me,” the headmistress demanded with a coldness that I’d never heard from her. Dr. Olwen pulled from her file a peculiar document, pale green with a golden trim around its edges. I realized with a start where I’d seen one like it: my mother’s death certificate.

“T.O.D. was fourteen-hundred and thirty-four minutes,” Dr. Olwen said softly as Headmistress Ward’s eyes flickered across the page.

“Time of... I died?” I whispered hoarsely. “That’s not possible.” 

Still, neither of them acknowledged my existence in the room.

“Should we inform the father?” Dr. Olwen continued as if I hadn’t spoken.

“Heaven forbid, Domina!” the headmistress scolded her. “He was expecting his son to be the only commoner here; what is the Secretary going to say if we tell him his child’s a Phoenix?”

“My dad knew about all of this?” Finally, they turned to face me, and I wished to heaven that I hadn’t spoken.

“Of course he did, my boy. Did you ever doubt that?” 

“Err, I just…” I sighed and rubbed my temples. “Might I have some pain medication now?” The two women exchanged powerful glances.

“I suppose it couldn’t hurt now. But I will have to keep you here overnight if you take anything.” I almost agreed to it, but as I looked around the small, white room, I decided against it.  
This seemed a good decision, given that within ten minutes, I felt as crisp and healthy as any living boy. I asked to leave.

“You want to go back to class?” Dr. Olwen repeated in amazement, her jaw down and eyebrows lifted.

“I just don’t want to miss my last lesson if I can help it,” I said meekly. That wasn’t the real reason, of course; I wanted to be able to have dinner with Bless and tell her about what had happened.

“Very well.” She took my vitals one last time before pronouncing me free to go. “Don’t you over-exert yourself, though. Take this.” She ripped a note from a pink letterpad and scrawled something on it. “Fifth period is just ending; what have you got for sixth?”

“Languages,” I replied. “First-level Spanish.” She nodded before issuing a final command.

“Tell Professor Hsu that I don’t want you working too hard for the next week or so. That goes for all your classes as well!”

“Yes, ma’am.” I turned to head out the door, but then I remembered something the headmistress had said earlier. “Doctor, about what Headmistress Ward said – I can talk about it here, right?” The good doctor gave a curt nod. 

“She called me a ‘Phoenix.’ Could you explain just what-?”

“I could,” she said tartly, cutting me off. “But since you picked the worst possible week to reveal this talent, I think you would do better to forget about it until Friday. When the inspection is ended, I will tell you everything you want to know.” She leveled with me, and our eyes met until I felt uncomfortable. “Deal?”

“Deal.” I gulped. “Err, I’ll just get to Spanish, then.” Gripping the note like a train ticket, I rushed out of the doctor’s chateau and onto the grassy lawn for my class.

I wish I could say I took Dr. Olwen’s advice. I wish I could say I’d gone to Spanish and forgotten the events of that afternoon, forgotten the word ‘phoenix’, forgotten that I’d died. 

If I’d had Spanish with the Psychics, they would have stopped me. As it was, I had it with the Benders, the team that was stuck in a cycle, constantly trying to prove themselves to an unimpressed world. 

This week’s inspections had made them more edgy than ever. There was talk of running off to the Forest Field that night. For what, I did not know. 

“Won’t we get in trouble?” I asked in a low voice. We weren’t supposed to use English, but I was more concerned about Professor Hsu hearing that we planned to sneak out.

“Not if nobody finds out,” snapped Vienne. “The Earth- um, some of the athletes will be there.” 

Even though there were no agents in our classroom right then, she avoided the dangerous language.

“I’m not so sure about thi-” But Cat was having none of my nonsense.

“Either be outside your cabin at nine o’clock, or don’t bother,” she interrupted. “Unless your friends on the dream team have plans for tonight.”

“What? No!” That was too loud; Professor Hsu came to our table.

“¿Hay algo que quieres decir, Erin?” Our professor asked, a nervous blue vein dancing above her almond eyes.

“No, Maestra,” I gulped. “Nada de importa.” She nodded and wandered away. 

The rest of the class passed without a word of English, but I couldn’t keep my mind off of what Cat had said. I wished there was a way to show her that I was loyal to them.

But even as I thought of this, I felt a twinge of guilt. Was I loyal to the Benders? Was I even a Bender, really? I didn’t belong anywhere at this school, and yet I’d found friends among the three families.

Would my five years at Icaerys be a steady swirl as I darted from group to group, trying to please everyone? Where did I really belong?  
I knew the answer lay in my newfound ability.  
I had to know more about it.  
Which meant I had to die again.

So of course, at nine o’clock on the dot, I locked the door to my seafoam bedroom and stepped quietly outside of my cabin. 

In less than a minute, I heard stealthy footsteps. Even if they weren’t Airbending to keep their footsteps off the ground, these kids were quieter than the wind in the trees. Jesse held something small and bright in his hands; when I stepped in front of him, I saw it was a flame – the tiniest bit of fire, smaller than candlelight – to guide our way into the Forest.

I contemplated this the whole way there: how was I going to die this time?  
I should have been afraid; I should have used my common sense.

I didn’t.

We came to the Field, the same place where I’d seen them all cheering on Bless and her team during this year’s Games. Now it was creepily silent, the screams vanished from the air like leaves fallen from a tree in winter. We held our slow, steady pace until all the Benders – and me, the honorary – were out of the Forest, and then, as if someone had blown a referee’s whistle, hell broke loose.

It happened this way: one of the Airbenders made a sneak attack on Cat, knocking the Waterbender off her feet. She jumped back up and shot a wall of earth at him, proving her dominance at both elements as he fell to the ground. 

At the same time that she retaliated, Seline – another Waterbender – whirled in one fluid motion and fired a stream of water at Vienne, who was facing the opposite way. Jesse, ever the vigilant one, lunged in front of Vienne and fired a burst of flame into Seline’s face.

I suddenly realized how I was going to die. I waited for the inevitable – Cat had to increase her strength by finding stronger and stronger Benders to battle her. The team of Benders who had faced the dream team was only too happy to acquiesce. Jon, Michal, Dean, Katya, and Lane were Masters – students who had conquered all the elements – and soon Cat had engaged Katya and Lane and was facing both at once. 

It was a match made in heaven, really: Katya was the Earthbender who had amazed me that first day in the field, but while she favored Water and Earth, Lane excelled in Air and Fire. As they danced around Cat, they voiced instructions to her.

“Keep your stance turned out!” 

“Tighten your grip if you’re going to Earthbend; relax if you’re using Fire!”

The longer they fought, the more dangerous Cat became. The freshman was determined to master the elements, and fighting her betters tore up her nerves. 

I knew sooner or later she would resort to Fire. 

After Water, Firebending was Cat’s easiest element. She would save her best for last, if only to show them that she was exhausted, but Fire would come soon. 

When I saw sweat dampening her shirt, and beads of water clinging to the muscles in her arms, I knew my time had come.

Lane blasted Cat with air, and the younger girl used the momentum, pivoting on her left foot in a full circle before she sent a wall of fire raining down on both Benders. I had seen this move before, so at the very second she turned to pivot, I took my chances.

I leapt into the middle of her fireball.

Perhaps the strangest thing about dying is that I can’t even describe what it feels like. At that instant, my first thought was along the lines of Shouldn’t I be burning right now?

I must have crumpled to the ground, because when I came to, I was laying horizontal, my head in Jesse’s lap, while pandemonium broke out around me.

“He’s alive!” a familiar voice screeched somewhere close to my head.

“I’m sorry, Cat,” I tried to say. It came out more as “Mar Ee Caah,” and I realized my lips were burnt. I lifted a hand to feel them, but my fingers and most of the skin on my arm were charred beyond recognition.

“We’ve got to get you to the doctor –” Vienne’s voice died off as her eyes widened in shock.

“Wha?” I was slowly regaining my capacity for speech.

“Erin… your face.” I reached my hand again to my lips.

“That bad?”

“No, it’s—” Suddenly Cat was in my face. She fairly pushed Vienne away to get a better look as she lit a small flame to see me.

“He’s recovering!” she gasped. I’d never seen anyone’s jaw actually drop, but that night I saw it happen exactly eight times. 

I sincerely hoped that no one had run to get Dr. Olwen. With the inspection, I was sure my face was the last she wanted to see, burned or not.

After about two more minutes, I was able to lift my head from Jesse’s lap. I sat Indian-style and looked round at the Benders, who had broken out into chatter around me.

“You were dead,” Jesse finally said, his voice soft and chilling in the night air. “I wanted to do CPR on you, but your pulse was gone. You inhaled fire, Erin.” 

The finality of his tone was as much a death certificate as the green paper Dr. Olwen had shown me. 

I could feel twenty-nine people holding their breath, waiting on me to explain. After a grueling ten seconds, I cleared my throat and set my eyes above the crowd.

“I have no idea what’s happening to me,” I said slowly. “And I’m just sorry I gave you all such a fright and put you to so much worry.” 

I was sure they could hear the lie in my words; you could have heard a pin drop on that Field. For once, I wished that the Benders had a leader like Bless who could put a stop to this, who could tell us to go home and forget it.

Luckily, Liam broke the heavy silence with a mighty sneeze. 

“We’d better be getting back before someone gets sick,” his fellow Airbender suggested quickly.

I shot Torr a grateful glance, but he did not meet my gaze.

Our walk to the Forest Field had seemed exciting and quick-paced; our return seemed to last an eternity as we trudged down the path, led again by Jesse’s flame. When I got to my cabin, I muttered a soft goodbye to my friends, but their replies were hollow at best. 

By the time I collapsed on my bed, I was too restless to fall asleep. Perhaps the fact that there were only five hours until breakfast made it worse. I tossed and turned, and when I’d shut my eyes long enough, I dreamed of my mother’s funeral.  
I could only pray that the headmistress would never learn of this.

The next day, my morning passed uneventfully, but the headmistress sent for me in the middle of lunch. The announcement called for both me and Bless, and so I doubted that this had anything to do with the events of yesterday.

I was, of course, wrong.

“Thank you, Bless,” Headmistress Ward said once we were standing in her sitting room. “You can go on to class; I’m sorry to have bothered you.” Bless nodded, tight curls of hair sweeping into her eyes.

“It’s no trouble, Headmistress.” She turned in a fluid, catlike motion, and it became clear to me in that moment that Bless and the headmistress were closer than I’d assumed. I resolved to ask her about it later.

“Sit down, Erin.” I did so. “Do you know why you are here?”

“Because I’ve died and come back twice?” It wasn’t meant to be a question, but it came out as one.

“No.” She rubbed the wrinkly spot between her eyebrows, and I knew it was serious. “You are here because after Dr. Olwen specifically instructed you not to go looking for trouble, you leapt into a fire. Does that not spell ‘trouble’ to you?”

“I know, but-”

“Let me finish. You attempted suicide, and I do not take these things lightly, even in your case.”

“I wasn’t attempting-”

“What other term would you use for a boy who puts himself in danger knowingly, with the intent to do harm to himself?” I paled under her glare. 

“Now, I have sent word to your father,” she continued “and he replied that he will be calling for you this afternoon. I think it would be wise to decide ahead of time just what you plan to say to him.”

“What I plan to say?” I looked dumbly at her.

“Icaerys is under inspection, a student has come within an inch of death twice in twelve hours, and someone’s going to answer for it.” 

She paused. “Now, I hardly believe you intended to end your life either of these times. But I think it best if you wish to continue your education at my school, that you convince your father these were accidents.”

“How?” I had never felt like more of an idiot in my life. 

“Yesterday afternoon, you were taking a dare from your fellow students. No need to involve Professor Henrique in your mess.” 

I had not even considered it. I liked the little Bohemian, and if I was removed from his class, I would miss it sorely. 

“You miscalculated your fall and collided rather hard with a tree in your path, but you did not die,” she continued. 

“The certificate-”

“-has been burned, and your charts redone so that you were alive the entire time.”

She went on. 

“Last night, you and some friends from another class decided to host a bonfire in the woods. You felt a sense of immunity because of your brush with death earlier, or perhaps some temporary insanity from a possible concussion, and you attempted to jump the fire. It was higher than you anticipated, and you fell into the flames.” 

Hearing her describe it this way, I felt worse than ever. 

“And my friends put the fire out so fast that I escaped with a few burns?”

“Excellent.” Her voice told me it was anything but. “And Erin, one last thing.”

“Yes?”

“You’ll be beginning remedial studies with Professor Jenkins this evening, in my quarters.”

“I’m going to be drugged?” She did not seem surprised that I knew about it.

“I’m afraid it’s the only way.” To her credit, the headmistress did seem genuinely concerned. “Dr. Olwen recommended it at the first incident yesterday, but I did not heed her advice. Now look where we are.” She sighed, a groaning sound. “There are just two and a half days until the end of inspections. We need them to be as uneventful as possible.”

I swallowed hard. “I understand.”

“Good. Now,” she clapped a thin, veined hand on my shoulder. “Go on back to class. I’ll call you when it’s time to talk to your father.”  
Luckily, my conversation with Dad wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.

“Accidents, you say?”

“Yes. I’m just now starting to fit in, and I was stupid. I wanted the kids in my class to like me.” I could hear him sigh. There was a pause, silence on the telephone line.

“Erin,” my father said. “There are more important things in life than whether high school kids like you.”

I’d heard this before, in middle school. It was part of why I’d chosen this particular lie. 

“You have to stop taking risks like this. It’s better to be unliked and alive than a popular corpse. Have I made myself clear?”

Most fathers would not have been so blunt to their children. Mine wasn’t like most fathers.

“Crystal,” I replied. “No more jumping over fires.”

“And no more hillside tumbling. What the devil was that about, anyway?”

“One of the girls in my class said -”

“Say no more; I’ve heard enough.” He gave a strange sound that was between a hoot and a chuckle. “And stay away from that girl; she sounds dangerous.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have a good term, then. I’ll be writing to you soon.” He never spoke about our lack of letters, so I knew he meant it.

“Thank you. I love you. Goodbye.”

“I love you, too, Erin.” A click. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Headmistress Ward seemed pleased enough when I handed back her phone. 

“Thank you, Erin,” she said briskly. “Now, are you ready for this?” Deciding to be honest, I shook my head. 

The thought of going under for two whole days was daunting. I’d never even had dental surgery; anesthetics of any sort sent chills down my spine.

“You understand why it’s necessary?” she asked, and her tone was much gentler. “May I?” she gestured to my arm. I nodded, and she put a wrinkled hand on my tense shoulder.

“I wish there were another way; I really do.”

“Why do we have inspections, anyway?” I asked, hoping she’d ignore the tears welling in my eyes.

“I’ll be honest with you on that. Icaerys receives a great deal of funding as a result of people like your father. But the government won’t just hand over millions of dollars on a whim. They perform inspections largely to make sure that the money isn’t being misappropriated.”

“They’re concerned with budgeting?!”

“Obviously this is the least of our worries. Our books are perfectly balanced; I personally ensure that every fiscal year. Our major expenses are building maintenance and repairs, followed by the teachers’ salaries…” she trailed off. “But that’s beside the point. If the inspectors were to see you coming back to life, that could present an imminent threat to every student at Icaerys.” 

Suddenly the shame of it was almost too much for me.

“Do you think they’d close the school?”

“They might.” Her kind face was grim, and I looked away, embarrassed. “The safety of my students is paramount. I would not drug them unless I had no choice.”

“And you’ve done this before? Everyone always comes out of it okay?”

“Always.” She paused, unsure. After a tense few seconds, I broke the silence.

“What? Did something go wrong?”

“No, it’s just – we’ve never administered them to someone with your particular – talent. Your system has unique capabilities, and I worry that we’ll have to use a greater dosage to keep you under.”

“Oh, fantastic.” I took a deep breath. 

“We’ll begin at the primary dose,” she continued, her hand still on my shoulder. “Dr. Olwen will only increase it if your body shows signs of resistance.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I sighed. “Guess we’ve got to get on with it.”

“Right.” She stood, and I followed her to the back room, where the eight unlucky students lay crowded on comfy furniture. 

Sam and Rachelle were stretched out on two sofas, sleeping soundly. I had never seen Sam so quiet; the large Animagus was always a lightning bolt of energy, even in his human form. 

As for Rachelle, she was so quiet in everyday life that she might have just lain her head on the couch and closed her eyes. Somehow she consoled me. I felt more relaxed, even as Headmistress Ward wheeled out the medical cart.

I had to take several deep breaths before I was calm enough for the needle to slip into my arm. I reclined on a forest-green sofa, and for the first time, I noticed that the headmistress’s ceiling was painted with elaborate scenes. I lay directly underneath an eagle soaring over a family of Native Americans as they danced around a fire.

“One of my students did that,” the headmistress said. “Years ago, she came to us from a Puebla Indian reservation…” her voice trailed away. “Regardless – you’ll sleep now; the drug will begin to work in a minute or so. Just breathe.”

I breathed, acutely aware of the blood rushing through my veins and the IV bag hanging to my right. Rachelle went under, too. We’re both going to be all right…

When I awoke, it was a bright morning, and Dr. Olwen was placing a cold, wet towel on my forehead.

“Don’t sit up,” she warned. “You’ll pass out if-” I had already sat up. 

She seemed startled that I maintained my position. 

“Well, aren’t you the special one,” she snapped. I chuckled a little as she went around to the other students, gently waking them. It felt so odd to be awake before everyone; I had grown accustomed to waking alone in my cabin.

“Have the inspectors left?” a Bender with a streak of orange in his dark hair was asking.

“They left at dawn,” the good doctor answered brightly. “We can all breathe easier now.” As an afterthought, she added, “And I think the headmistress has a surprise for all of you!”

“A surprise?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Yes. I wanted to wake you to give you time to get to lunch and hear her announcement.” 

Dr. Olwen’s smile should have been reassuring, but this was the woman who had gladly kept nine students unconscious for days on end. I was wary of anything the doctor considered fun.

“Don’t you try and stand up now!” Dr. Olwen exclaimed. I was already on my feet.

“Erin, wait,” a small voice stopped me. “Let’s all go back together.” If it hadn’t been Rachelle, I wouldn’t have stopped. 

Dammit, only for you… I regretted this thought immediately. Of course the Psychic had heard it, and there hung on her face an unfathomable smile. 

“Is everyone feeling better yet?” Sam was asking in a groggy voice. Considering he seemed to be doing the worst of all of us, I found his concern admirable. 

I found it less admirable when he tried to stand too quickly and vomited directly on the headmistress’s hardwood floors.

“Wow, Sam, you look like hell,” was Dare’s greeting to us.

“Erin!” I heard the shout from across the dining hall. Cat was a streak of blue and brown as she dashed between tables and slammed into me in a bone-crushing hug. I’m the tumult, Rachelle got an arm thrown around her, but to the Psychic’s credit, she did not jump back. 

Rather, we stood there in a three-person hug for a second or so, and when I broke away, Sam was tangled up with Bless, and the rest of my Benders were coming over to greet us. 

“Settle down, everyone!” Professor Daily’s voice clipped the air neatly in two. “Attention, please! The headmistress would like to make an announcement!” Sure enough, Headmistress Ward was taking the podium, her smile as bright as if the inspections were a bad dream, and the school could finally wake up.


	4. The dream team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did somebody say Sadie Hawkins dance??

Thank you, everyone,” the headmistress began. “This past week was a difficult one for many of you. I just wanted to say that I am so very proud of everything you’ve done, all that you sacrificed, to help us get through our inspections. The inspectors sent in their recommendations today, and I am pleased to report Icaerys passed again.” 

There were sighs of relief and even some whooping from the Animagi. 

“Now, as an expression of my gratitude for your perseverance, I have decided to bring back a tradition that our academy has not practiced in several years.” 

My friends cocked their heads at this, and Rachelle, who had gone to join her family at their table, raised her eyebrows. It was a rare thing for a Psychic to be surprised.

“I have given the topic careful consideration,” the headmistress continued. “And your professors have agreed that this is a good year to bring back the school dance.”

The reaction was immediate. Like explosions down the rows, excitement toppled the careful silence that Icaerys had been holding all those days. The Animagi looked ready to flip tables in their glee. Even the Psychics were clapping loudly. The headmistress had noticeable difficulty resuming order.

“Our first dance, we’ve decided, will be a semi-formal in the theme of Sadie Hawkins.” She smiled. “It may seem old-fashioned to you, but in my day it was very progressive for a girl to ask a boy to dance.” There were uneasy glances, fearful whispers, before Professor Daily tapped Headmistress Ward’s shoulder and whispered gently into her ear.

“Yes, well,” the headmistress said loudly, “I never said that girls had to ask boys, or that any gender had to ask another – heavens knows you’ll dance with whomever you like. It’s merely a tradition that I thought would in keeping with Icaerys Academy’s rich history… Yes, the Sadie Hawkins will be held this second Friday, so that should give you plenty of time to work out your dates. 

“As I said, it will be semi-formal attire, and your Professors will be escorting trips to the local shopping plazas for those who need to purchase suitable attire. Please see them for more information. In any case, I hope to see you all put your best foot forward next Friday!” 

Seeming a bit flustered, she left the podium to great applause.

When the cheering had died down, everyone was awkwardly quiet. The Psychics were no doubt already pairing off – who could help it when you all hear each other’s thoughts – and when I saw Rachelle coming over to our table, I worked to keep my thoughts still. I had a gut-wrenching feeling that she was going to ask me to the dance, and while I valued her tremendously as a friend, I just wasn’t attracted to her. In my panicked thoughts, I realized that it wasn’t that she was fat; the Psychic was very beautiful despite - or perhaps because of - her shape. She had an effortless grace. Hell, maybe I was just intimidated by her...

On this realization, I had just decided to accept her invitation graciously regardless of my own desires, when Rachelle walked right past me and stopped in front of Cat. The Waterbender swung her legs over the bench and faced the dark-haired Psychic.

“Catharine,” Rachelle asked in her quiet, solemn voice. “Would you be unhappy if I asked you to the Sadie Hawkins dance?”

I couldn’t even think straight. Catharine? Who the hell is Catharine? Did Rachelle just ask Cat to the dance? And why not me? 

My head was swimming, and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.

“Of course not,” Cat was saying. “I’d love to.” I could tell my face was bright red, and as they began talking about dresses and color-coordination, I found myself walking to the beverage table, stunned and bemused.

“Steady there,” said a familiar voice. “Remember last time you and I met in this vicinity?”

“Like it was yesterday,” I called back. “Hi, Bless.” The Animagus girl made a game of staying far away from me, so that she had to use a louder voice.

“Did your Psychic friend ask you to the dance?” she called.

“No, turns out she wanted to go with Cat!” I called back.

“Who?”

“Cat! The Waterbender! The Asian girl with the brown – Oh, this isn’t funny, Bless; come over here!” Laughing, the dark-skinned beauty sashayed two steps forward, one back, before finally conceding to come within earshot.

“Well, good for Cat,” she said genuinely. 

“Yeah,” I said. “They’ll look good together.” A pause. “So, you’re going with Sam?”

“Of course,” Bless said quickly. “He didn’t even let me ask him. The arrogance of it- he asked me before Headmistress Ward even got to the part about the girls doing the asking.” She laughed lightly, and I tried to join in. “But we want you in our group. Do you want me to find an Animagus girl to ask you? Or a boy? You have to go with someone.”

“Oh, I dunno,” I said, feeling suddenly like there was no air in the hall. “I appreciate the offer, but you don’t need to-”

“Oh yes,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Because I can see every student in your grade is queuing up to ask you.” The gentility of her voice softened the blow of these words.

“I’ll be fine,” I repeated.

“As you wish! But if you change your mind, Juliet,” she finished with a smile. “You know where to find me.”

“I’ll be fine!” I insisted, walking back to my table.

How sorely wrong I was. By the end of that week, I was far from fine. By the next Wednesday, I was a bundle of nerves. 

“How’s a guy even meant to manage it?” I asked Jesse one day. “I mean, has any girl asked you?” He gave a quiet chuckle, the closest the Firebender ever came to a full-blown laugh.

“Actually, no,” he answered. “But I’ve asked Liam, and he said he’d like to go with me.” While Cat poured her congratulations on him, I became more incensed.

“Well, that’s just fantastic! My choices seem to be to go alone, or go with another boy.” I slammed down my coffee mug, and the breakfast table went quiet. I wasn’t done with them yet. 

“Vienne,” I continued, turning on her. “Have you asked anybody?”

“No,” she replied defensively. “But if you must know, I got a note from the dream team yesterday.” Raised eyebrows all around. “Kyrie Eleison wants me to go with her.”

“Bless’s sister?? That Kyrie?” I nearly choked on thin air.

“Why is that so hard to imagine?” Vienne snapped.

“You’re not joking.”

“No, I’m not!” She was snarling now. “I’ve sent her my ‘yes’ in reply. And I’ll thank you not to make fun of us.”

“I wasn’t making fun; it’s only just-”

“Only just what?”

“Well, you and Kyrie are nearly as strange as Cat and Rachelle. Come to think of it, I never saw Liam and Jesse getting all friendly before either.”

“Well, isn’t that the point?” Jesse asked, ever the peacemaker. “Listen, Erin, maybe this dance is an opportunity for you. We’re all expanding our horizons, going with new people. Maybe you could do the same.”

“Yeah,” I sighed miserably. “If only I was allowed to ask a girl.” As if to echo my dolorous tone, the great bell rang at that moment.

The next twenty-four hours were excruciating. Everywhere I went, dyads were giggling, holding hands, and generally pairing off without me. Even the normally silent Psychics were speaking, many of them taking a Bender or Animagus as their Sadie Hawkins date. 

The dance was all anyone spoke of. By the next day, my nerves were so frazzled that when a girl approached me at the beverage table, I was about to snap at her. I stopped when I realized it was Bless.

“You look like hell,” she said, raising her eyebrow. “Almost like how I feel.” 

“Oh, that’s really helpful, Bless. Wait. What?” She was always doing that, juxtaposing words until I felt stupid and confused.

“I haven’t told anyone,” she lowered her voice confidentially. “Sam is going out of town for a few days. I don’t have a date for the dance.” My mouth unhinged, and I fought to keep a straight face.

“I’m so sorry; that’s awful. What do you mean, ‘out of town’?”

“There’s been a situation in Yemen. A dragon is terrorizing a desert village, killing livestock and all that. Icaerys graduates determined it was an Animagus, so they don’t feel right killing it. They called the headmistress last night.” 

Bless’s tawny face was crunched up in frustration. “Doesn’t it sound awful if I say I don’t want him to go? I just don’t want to be alone Friday night.”

“No, it’s not awful!” I said, maybe a bit too loudly. Several Animagi looked up from their lunches to look at us. I lowered my voice again. “You shouldn’t have to go alone.”

“That’s why I came over here,” she said, her tone much lighter now. “But if you have a date already, I completely understand.” 

It took me a second to piece the puzzle together.

“You want me to go to the dance with you?” I felt like singing.

“Only if you want to,” she said with a shyness that fooled no one. “I’d appreciate it.”

“I’d love to.”

“Thanks.” A second of joy. I must have stared too openly, caught in the trance of her deep, earthy-brown eyes. “You’re a good friend, Erin.” 

And it’s gone.

“Yeah…” As she returned to the Animagi table, my smile chipped away and fell.  
“… friends.”

That afternoon found us shopping, which was more of an ordeal than you’d expect.

“Stop squirming!” Cat commanded, and Vienne only tugged harder at the hem of the dress she was trying. I had to empathize; between the long skirt and the leggings she traditionally wore, the Firebender could barely move.

“How does anyone move in these things?” the Firebender lamented. “I take two steps and nearly trip. Why can’t I wear a suit like you and the boys?” 

She had a point; Cat had purchased a sharp women’s suit in a deep blue reminiscent of the deep ocean. The Waterbender cut quite a figure; she and Rachelle would look dashing together.

“Because Kyrie wants you to,” Cat italicized. “And you like her – shut up, I know you do – so you’re going to wear a dress, even if I have to sew one to your skin!” 

It was both threat and promise, and Vienne stalked back to the racks to look for a better choice.

“How about th-” Jesse held up a sassy black one-shoulder dress, but stopped mid-sentence when Vienne glared daggers at him. Her partner should have known better; Vienne wouldn’t bare her limbs for anyone, even Kyrie. “Okay.” 

She snatched the next option from Cat’s hands - a deep orange gauzy number - and stomped back to the dressing room.

“Erin, go with Jesse to find tuxedos,” Cat ordered. “I can hold down the fort here until you get back.” 

Gratefully, we almost ran from the dress shop out into the mall proper.

“Jesse! Erin!” we heard from across the way. It was Rachelle and a group of her friends, all of them carrying shopping bags. “I’ve just seen what Cat chose; you’ve done well, boys.” 

How did she see – oh, right. No doubt the Psychic had kept a close eye on us while she shopped.

“Would you like some help choosing your suits?” We gratefully accepted, and Rachelle must have wordlessly promised to meet her friends later, as the other Psychics parted with knowing nods.

“Let us see what you picked, Rachelle,” I suggested. Truthfully, I didn’t care what anybody wore; I was going to dance with Bless, and that automatically made the night a success in my mind. 

Rachelle must have heard me think this, but she graciously pulled a blue-green tulle out of the garment fold she held. For a plus size dress, it was surprisingly detailed, a shimmery swirl of sea foam that would make her almost a mermaid.

“Oh, but that’s gorgeous,” Jesse sighed over her choice. “Some days I wish I’d been born a girl.”

“What has being born got to do with it?” Rachelle asked. “Tamany, the tall girl in the junior class, was assigned male at birth, and she just asked one of the dream team to the dance.”

“No way,” Jesse breathed. “Which one? Did they say yes?”

“I heard Dare say he was happy to go with her, and his thoughts matched up,” Rachelle reported happily. “Actually, as far as I know, all the invitees have said yes. It looks like all our school will have a great night.” She smiled at me, and I knew it would be best to change the subject.

“So what kind of dancing do you think we’ll have? I mean, this isn’t a normal high school…”

“You think because we’re …” Jesse lowered his voice “gifted… that we can’t dance? Sheesh, Erin.” 

But he gave a low chuckle. “I expect there will be some pop songs, a few jazz numbers to keep the headmistress happy, maybe some salsa, cha cha, swing… I know that Clair, the DJ, is a prodigy on the tracks.” 

At this, Rachelle jumped in.

“Clair’s fantastic,” she told us. “She was an Icaerys alum some five years ago; she remembers every song she’s ever heard. All the professors are beyond excited. I can only imagine what she’s got planned for us.”

“Can Psychics – ouch! – even imagine?” I asked, too curious to mind Jesse’s pinch when I said the word. We weren’t, strictly speaking, allowed to talk about the special talents of Icaerys while off school property.

“We imagine, perhaps more vividly than others,” Rachelle said simply. There was a dreamy quality to her voice. “I think it’s because we see possibilities, an ever-changing future.” 

She stared off into space, but after a moment she shook her head, every bit the dog shaking water out of its ears. “So, let’s see about those tuxes, shall we? I see there’s a sale at DeMarco’s Dress Shop.” I smiled; we were nowhere near DeMarco’s. 

Sometimes it was good to have a Psychic as your best friend.

The Friday of the dance dawned in exact opposition to the days of the week before; where there had been a grim thickness to the air, now there hung a joyous ring of festivity. 

Members of the Icaerys senior class went about hanging decorations during their free period, and at our first recess, the upperclassmen paid tribute to the occasion by starting a rousing chorus of the school song. I’d never heard it before, and I saw that Cat and Jesse were also stumbling over the words, but Vienne and Rachelle, who had become a sort of honorary Bender, raised their voices with the rest.

Icaerys, the bright  
Icaerys, the bold  
From the newest of us to  
The oldest of old

We learn from Thee still  
And learn what Thee will’st  
The keeper of Wisdom untold!

This had been a somber, swaying rhythm, while students held arms and moved from side to side in an almost graceful embrace. The next lines were rushed, with stomping of feet and hands clapping furiously.

Oh, I’ve come up to Icaerys and I’ve joined up the flanks  
Left behind my friends and fam’ly for the proudest of all ranks

To graduate with honor  
Strength, and integrit-y (here they held the “ee” sound for a comically long period)  
All for the glory of our fair Academy!  
All for the glory (again, they held the “ee” nearly too long)  
Of our fair Academy!

Some of our professors had heard the anthem, and a few rushed to join us. In that moment I remembered that they too had once been Icaerys students, and no doubt they shared the gifts that my new friends possessed. 

Some of them might even have taught my mother, when she was a student here. 

My attention swayed from the celebration, I parted from my friends, who were joking and play-fighting after the song’s end, to hunt down some answers.

“Professor Daily?” I asked of the curly-haired woman who taught my English class. She was the nearest teacher I could find. “Can I ask a question?”

“Of course, Erin,” she replied warmly. “Step into my office.” And as she sat crossed-legged on the grassy plain, I realized it was a joke. I laughed weakly and sat as well.

“I wanted to know if you had been teaching here long.”

“Oh, only about twelve years. Why?” Not long enough. 

But for some reason, I continued. It was easy to talk to her, this little woman to whom I owed my friendship with the dream team – I had not forgotten that first day of Romeo and Juliet.

“I was wondering about the history of the school. When it started, and how many students it has had, and,” I lowered my voice, “how Icaerys finds students of – you know, special talents.”

“Ah, a fine query!” she smiled. “As you know, students typically fall into three categories – with a few notable exceptions. By the way, have you given much thought to which team you’ll choose? It’s so rare that anyone has the opportunity to pick, so naturally I’m a bit curious.” 

Indeed, she had the look of a journalist on a promising new case. I shook my head.

“I can’t decide between the Animagi and the Benders,” I told her woefully. “But back to the Academy –”

“Oh, yes! Right. So the founders of Icaerys began the Academy when they met in the turn of the twentieth century and discovered there were others like them. Before this famous meeting, it was believed by each gifted person that they were the only one, and you can imagine it was a relief to find strangers who shared these remarkable qualities.” She paused to breathe, and I interrupted.

“Are you gifted, by any chance?”

“Me?” she laughed. “Yes, but we teachers don’t generally talk about that. Since most of our classes are divided into Benders, Psychics, or Animagi, it would be unfair to show a bias for any particular team.” 

Too late; her use of the word ‘team’ had already given her away as a Bender. I’ll bet she’s an Avatar, too, just like Cat’s training to be.

“Right,” Professor Daily continued. “About the founders: there were seven of them in total – two Benders, two Animagi, and two Psychics. The final founder, Arman Selmy, was a scientist who worked on the Animagi serum and was trusted by the two Animagi founders, Lex Augustus and Julienne Everhart. As you may have guessed, the founders’ surnames spelled out I-C-A-E-R-Y-S, Ivanson, Charles, Augustus, Everhart, Reinstadt, Ydris, and Selmy.” 

She took a breath. “They met partly by chance and part by design – the two Psychics, Nigel Ydris and Melanie Charles, had met some years prior and had foreseen the arrival of the Animagi and their scientist friend for a medical convention in a nearby city, on the exact day that the Benders would be there on their circus tour. Of course, they didn’t call them Animagi and Benders then; those names came later.”

“So the Psychics, Ydris and Charles, basically tracked them down and what, asked them to start a school?”

“No, I imagine not.” Professor Daily’s gaze drifted from me; the older Bender was looking off into the distance. “You see, their purpose had never been to educate, but to proliferate. They had a vision for a world where the entire population would have some gift or another, and the school was merely an afterthought, a way of keeping tabs on the gifted students they found.”

“They didn’t want to teach us? Errr, them?” I caught myself.

“There has been some debate about this. The academics of Icaerys were a hodgepodge of sorts, and the ill-fitted structure still shows in modern times. Make no mistake,” Professor Daily clapped her hands together. “Icaerys hires the best faculty with the most experience in their fields, and we strive to give you the best education possible. But sometimes one still has the sentiment that these years are about more than learning.” 

She tapped her thumbs on the desk. “Like this choice of yours. Your decision to join the Benders or the Animagi has nothing to do with your grades, but even as your English teacher, I anticipate your decision. 

“Life, Erin,” Professor Daily summarized. “Life is more than what we live in the classroom. You have to get out and seize it.”

“Thank you, Professor.” I grinned. “I think I know just what you mean.”

And although she was far from answering my question, I left her room with a kick in my step and a song in my mind.

I had just seen Bless and her sister walking toward the East courtyard.

If I thought Icaerys was crazy those first weekend nights, when my friends had snuck off into the woods to compete in almost supernatural Games, I had no idea what the night of the dance held in store. 

All of the Academy’s students, Psychic, Bender, and Animagus alike, were decked out to the nines in their best clothes. As I still lived alone in my Cabin, Jesse invited me to his dorm, where the Waterbenders were suiting up.

“You’re all really loyal to your Elements, aren’t you?” I asked, feeling overwhelmed by the waves of blue that enfolded us. From the bedding to the walls, their Cabin was doused in shades from cornflower to midnight blue. 

“Well isn’t Erin just a drop of black ink in Picasso’s Blue Period?” I heard a familiar voice say behind me.

“You look nice, too, Cat,” I rolled my eyes.

“Thanks, Phoenix.” Lately, she had taken to calling me by my Alchemist name. I couldn’t tell whether she meant for the nickname to tear me down or lift me up, but either way, I hated it. I felt a blush rise to my face, which Jesse mistook for shyness.

“You do look good, Erin,” he reassured me. “Bless is a lucky girl.” 

Hearing this from another boy might have made me wonder his intentions, but Jesse was altogether incapable of pretense. He was so obviously, painfully enamored with Liam.

Almost as much as I am with her…

“Speaking of lucky-!” I hadn’t heard Rachelle come in, but Cat’s cry sent me spinning towards the door to where she caught her date by the waist. “You look –”

“Stunning?” Rachelle beamed; I had never seen her so happy. 

“It must be nice to hear people’s thoughts on a night like this,” Jesse mused. “You know right away how you look… you don’t have to use a mirror!”

It was true; the Psychic’s dress accentuated her plump figure in all the right ways, hugging her curves like a glove. She and Cat made for an oddly endearing pair: you’d never see the muscular Waterbender or her full-figured date on a magazine cover, but together they shone so brilliantly that no one could deny they were stunning.

We met Vienne, Liam, and Torr in the terrace just outside the Hall. Already I could hear the cacophony inside, and I felt a nervous sweat begin to form on my forehead. I hoped no one was looking as I wiped it on my sleeve; my handkerchief was too neatly ironed and folded to fit perfectly in my front pock-

Oh, great.

Of course the Dream Team would arrive just in time to catch me wiping off sweat, in a disgusting position. Blushing furiously, I wanted to hide in the crowds that seemed to constantly follow them. But tonight I had a rare opportunity. Bless had asked me to the dance – as a friend, but still! – and I had to play my cards right.

Luckily, I had practiced for this.

“Enchanté,” I said in what I hoped was a mature, smooth voice. I took her hand to kiss, when the sight of her caught me off-guard. I stopped, hung in suspension, like my brain was a computer and my software had decided to start running updates.

“Erin?” I faintly heard her say.

On a bad day, Bless was beautiful. I had seen her sweating and tired after a difficult training session, and with no makeup and grass stains on her gear, she looked gorgeous.

Tonight, the word that came to mind was -  
Radiant.

“Who, me? Radiant?” Bless smiled, and I realized I had spoken aloud. “Why, thank you, Erin; you’re a dear.”

As I snapped out of it, I took in Bless’s profile. She had applied some kind of glitter around her eyes, and against the dark canvas of her skin, their deep brown hue shone like the embers of colliding galaxies. Her golden dress seemed to flow like electricity around her, and her every move sent stars shooting in my peripheral vision. Every other day, Bless looked the lion. Tonight, she may as well have been a star.

I must have mumbled something about going in, because we soon found ourselves on the dance floor, and couples across the Hall were making room for us to begin the dancing.

“I don’t dan-” I protested feebly.

“You do tonight!” Vienne hissed. 

The Firebender jabbed a sharp elbow in the small of my back, and I grimaced. 

Even in her long scarlet evening gown and sheer matching head scarf, Vienne was still Vienne. And Vienne was unstoppable.

“You’ll have to lead,” I told Bless. “I’m no good.”

“I’ve had years of practice,” she said with a shrug. “And I always lead when it’s just Kyrie and me.” The image sprang to mind: a younger Bless leading her little sister in a dance. The Light and dark; together they would be sun and stars. I found it heart-warming.

The DJ, Clair, was every bit as good as Rachelle claimed. The Psychic alum spun a bright and lively melody, and we sailed through the crowd. 

I wasn’t sure if we were waltzing or swinging, but Bless knew where we were going, and that was all right by me.

The night seemed to pass in a flurry of light – from the chandeliers in the Hall to the candelabras that lined the outside terrace – and when it came to an end, I found that I didn’t want to go back. My solitary room in my Cabin would seem so lonely compared to the brilliance of being one of the dream team.

“Go. To. Bed!” Headmistress Ward shooed away would-be partiers as the dance staff began to clear out the Hall.

“As if,” Remy scoffed mischievously.  
“Change up and meet at our dorm in fifteen?” Dare picked up for his brother.

“Sounds like a plan,” Bless responded. “Erin?”

“Sure!” I replied, a little too eagerly. “Wait – where?”

“Oh!” My date’s mouth turned into a perfect pink “O” of surprise. “You’ve never gone to our Cabin, have you?”

“Bless forgets you’re not part of our Pride yet,” Kyrie explained. 

“We live on the East Campus,” Bless hurried on. “My sister and I stay in the northernmost Animagi Cabin, but we’re hardly ever there. The boys have their own suite in Faunus Cabin, so we’re mostly always there.”

“Faunus Cabin,” I repeated. I had never been on the East Campus, as first years lived on the South, and my Cabin was more Central than any other dorm, but I was sure I could find it. “I’ll see you soon!”

The Benders were not happy with this chain of events.

“What do you mean you’re going to Faunus Cabin?” Cat practically growled at me when I met them on the trail back to my Cabin. “We were going to cook some hot dogs and play some video games!”

“And that sounds great,” I tried to evade her. “But we can do that any time, and the dance is only one night…” I cast around for aid. “Vienne, help me out here!”

“I’m not going,” the Firebender’s tone said you’re on your own here. “Kyrie invited me, but I told her I would be with my team.” 

She paused, then continued in a voice that was too cool. “I’m not an Animagus, Erin.”

“And neither are you,” Jesse said quietly.

“Does that mean I’m not allowed out?” I blustered, feeling my hands clench into fists. “I’m not a Bender either, you know!”

“But your allegiance is to us,” Cat chided. “Isn’t it?” Doing my best to dodge the question, I pointed at Rachelle, who stood placidly with her hand tucked in Cat’s arm.

“What about her? She’s no Bender either; are you going to kick her out?”

 

“I’m a different case, Erin.” Rachelle spoke up, and Cat tightened her grip on her date’s hand. “I don’t fit in with the Psychics.”

“That’s not true, babe,” Cat argued. “You’re just too social for those nerds.”

“You might think they’re socially inept nerds, but…” I let her words wash over my head as I desperately searched for a way out of this. An idea hit me.

“How am I supposed to know which team I belong to if I only ever spend time with you guys?”

“What?”

“All I’m saying is, if you don’t let me hang out with the Anima-I mean, the dream team, I’ll never know where I’m supposed to belong.”

“You belong right here, Erin.” The possession in Vienne’s voice was surprising. I didn’t think she cared. “Doesn’t he, Jesse?” Her fighting partner nodded earnestly.

“They’ll never know you like we do,” he argued. “Besides, you can learn to fight like a Bender – Professor Daily says you might even be able to acquire some Bending - but you can never learn to phase into an animal.”

He had me cornered there.

“Rachelle can’t Bend anything either,” I said stubbornly. “But you keep her around.”

“I believe all talents are useful,” the Psychic said tranquilly. “And you’re just being evasive.” With a pointed shiver, she turned to our friends. “Since it’s getting cold, why don’t we make a deal? Erin spends an hour with the Animagi, then at midnight he comes home?”

“What am I, Cinderella?”

“Tonight you are,” Vienne snapped. “Be back by midnight or don’t come back at all.”

“That’s not what I meant!” But Rachelle protested only half-heartedly. Cat’s hand on her shoulder seemed to silence her.

“No, it’s cool,” I answered, my voice shaking. “I can be back in an hour.”

“Good.”

“And maybe you can use that time to think about whether you guys are really my friends.”

With that, I walked purposefully away, fighting the urge to take off running towards my Cabin. My heart pounded furiously and I wanted to punch something.

“What’s on your mind, Erin?” Remy asked when I arrived at Faunus Cabin. 

“Yeah, you don’t look so good,” Bless said, rising from her place on Dare’s lap. 

Sometimes I envied the easy camaraderie between the dream team. Tonight I waved it off.

“I have to be back at Vanduo Cabin by midnight,” I said through clenched teeth. “Your girlfriend has me on a curfew.” 

“Don’t lash out at me,” Kyrie said, hurt.

“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I just don’t see the need for all this… this…”

“Animosity?” Bless offered.

“Yes!”

“Well isn’t it obvious?” the African Animagus asked as she sprawled out on Remy’s bed. I noticed that although she had changed into faded forest green pajamas, Bless hadn’t taken off her golden makeup. 

Even in the stark fluorescent lighting, she was resplendent. Yet she somehow belonged there; Bless belonged everywhere she went.

“Obvious?” I repeated.

“They’re jealous. They want you with them so you don’t change your mind and join up with us.”

“It’s downright catty of them,” Dare allowed.

“Hey,” Bless chuckled. “What do you have against cats?”

As we laughed, I found myself wondering what the Benders were doing at this moment. Were they laughing? Arguing? Or were they really just playing games?

I didn’t have time to wonder. To Bless’s delight, Dare procured a bottle of contraband vodka – heavily illegal, even for a school that wasn’t exactly on the right side of the law – and red plastic cups.

“Feels a little like college, doesn’t it?” Kyrie laughed. 

Suddenly more aware of my fourteen years, I felt my pulse quicken. I had never had a real drink.

“It wouldn’t be a real school dance if there wasn’t spiked punch!” Remy hooted. “Bless, get the mixers from the fridge; won’t you?”

As we began our drinking game, I became less and less aware of the minutes ticking by, until Bless tugged at my arm. She held her liquor better than I could hope to, and so I struggled to focus my eyes on her.

“Erin – isn’t it time for you to go? It’s ten til midnight.”

“You’re really pretty, you know?” I slurred. “Like, really beautiful.” I started to hiccup.

“Oh, Erin.” 

Bless shook her head with a smile, and that is the last I remember of that night.


	5. The Phoenix Alchemist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Sam gone on his mysterious Yemeni mission, I could almost believe Bless would notice me. With Sam gone, I could let myself dream that I had a chance.
> 
> The problem arose when Sam returned from Yemen.
> 
> I shouldn’t have been surprised to see the dragon boy turn up one day, beaming all rugged and full of stories of the Middle East. We all expected Sam would come back triumphant. 
> 
> What we didn’t expect was for Sam to bring the other Dragon Animagus with him.

“We give you one hour with the dream team and they give you back totally sloshed!”

Well, almost the last thing I remember.

As I hugged the toilet in Jesse’s suite, Vanduo Cabin looked harshly bright. On my way in, I had caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I shuddered at the memory.

The bathroom tile felt tantalizingly cool, and I longed to lay down my head and fall asleep right there. Thankfully, more sober heads had intervened, and Liam - who was much better at dealing with these things than Jesse – had taken me into his care.

“You’re the best, man.”

“For the twelfth time,” he replied indulgently, “I know.”

“Like seriously… the best.”

“Make that thirteen,” he said, and then his smile vanished as I knelt back over the toilet. My stomach was almost entirely empty, and I wondered how I had gotten back from Faunus Cabin.

“Did Bless walk me back?” I tried to ask, but it sounded more like “Dibluh wahmeh ack?” In the hallway, Jesse seemed to make it all out.

“No,” he called into the bathroom. “But Remy and Dare did. They half-carried you up the trail.”

“Oh, good. I didn’t wan’ ‘er to see me lahdis.”

“Oh, she saw you like this, all right.” In the other room, Vienne was angry, and her voice reverberated through my head. “She got you this drunk; she deserved to. I swear; what were they thinking? We should report them!”

“Noooo-oooooo…” I pleaded, but my legs wouldn’t let me stand up.

“Hear, wipe your face.” Liam handed me a wadded-up paper towel. “No one is reporting anyone. Vienne’s just being ... Vienne.”

After I downed a glass of water and didn’t throw up, Liam pronounced me fit for bed, and he and Jesse carried me not to my solitary Cabin, but to Jesse’s bed in Vanduo Cabin. 

“Where wiy lou sleep?” I slurred. A knowing look passed between the two, and before Jesse finished telling me not to worry about it, I slipped into a deep sleep.

My dreams were not of dancing or even vodka, but of a girl with brown eyes that sparkled under tightly curled locks. 

By the time I awoke, I was half-blinded by the sunlight streaming through Jesse’s window, and confusion gave way to my very first hangover. Needless to say, it was ages before I dared to drink again. 

I had danced with that devil too long.

The week following the Sadie Hawkins dance, I felt as if my life had split into two. I spent my mornings with the Benders and Rachelle, as I had before, but my nights with the Dream Team no longer had the feeling of espionage. 

Vienne had accused me of disloyalty, and while I never would have admitted it, she was right. The thought that I might have a chance with the sophomore lioness was too tantalizing for me to stay away. 

I barely paid attention in Professor Daily’s English class, choosing instead to doodle aimlessly and stare at Bless. The girl was a magnet. But if she caught on to my shy affections, she showed no sign. 

With Sam gone on his mysterious Yemeni mission, I could almost believe Bless would notice me. With Sam gone, I could let myself dream that I had a chance.

The problem arose when Sam returned from Yemen.

I shouldn’t have been surprised to see the dragon boy turn up one day, beaming all rugged and full of stories of the Middle East. We all expected Sam would come back triumphant. 

What we didn’t expect was that he would bring the other dragon Animagus with him.

What we didn’t expect was that the dragon Animagus would be a seventeen-year-old girl.

What we didn’t expect was for Sam to pull the dragon Animagus by the hand and say to us,  
“Everyone, I want you to meet Elia. She’ll be staying at Icaerys; isn’t that awesome?” 

Awesome was clearly not the word the Dream Team would have used to describe the situation. From the furrow in Kyrie’s brow to the clench of Remy’s strong jaw, I could see that her presence had the other Animagi on edge.

As usual, Bless broke the tension.

“Welcome to the Academy, Elia,” she said. Her voice wrapped silkily around the girl’s name, and under her coral hijab, I saw the dragon Animagus blush. 

Bless had that effect on people.

“Thank you,” she replied, her accent heavy as a drum. “My English is not good, excuse me.”

“But of course,” Bless said, and from that moment, it was as if the Dream Team had a sixth member. 

As if we had a new friend.

“But there’s just one thing,” I confided in Rachelle one day after maths class. Enough of the Psychics had fled the field, and a nod of Rachelle’s chin told me that they were not listening in on my thoughts. So I tilted my face and thought, Isn’t Elia a murderer? Why is the Headmistress letting her stay and study here?

“I’m not exactly sure,” my friend said softly as we headed back to the academics hall. “But we Psychics have been wondering if she had any choice.”

“Any choice?” I repeated dumbly. Who on earth would be powerful enough to force Headmistress Ward to do something she didn’t want to?

“That’s just what has us confounded,” Rachelle answered my unspoken question. “With the exception of the inspections, the Academy has largely done what it wants. Mostly they leave us alone, from what I hear.” She smiled; the baby fat in her cheeks breaking into soft dimples. “And there isn’t much I don’t hear.”

“If someone wanted Elia here,” I said slowly. “Then wouldn’t that make that same someone responsible for the deaths she caused in Yemen?”

“Now there’s an idea,” Rachelle looked thoughtful. She opened her mouth to say more, but then she stopped.

“What is it?”

“Oh, sure, Erin! I’d be happy to help you with your logarithms!” she said, a bit too cheerfully. Dumbfounded, I followed her gaze to the trail behind me, where Professor Daily was marching like a storm cloud.

“Hello, Profes-”

“Don’t you Hello me, Erin,” the wiry woman snapped at me. She turned on Rachelle, and her tone softened considerably. “Get to your next class, dear.” 

Meekly, my friend fled the scene, and the irate Professor rounded on me again.

“Do you have any idea what your grade in my class is?” Her italics were audible.

“Err… Not good?”

“No, Erin, not bloody well good!” It was the closest I had heard to a teacher swearing. I cringed.

“I’m sorry, Professor. I’ll do better; I’ll pull my grade up.”

“Damn right you will,” she fumed. “I don’t care if you are a Phoenix Alchemist. I will hold you in detention every afternoon until you bring that grade up; you just watch me!”

“What?” I was astounded. “Professor, I’m sorry, but that’s insane.”

“Don’t you start with me, lad,” she retorted. “Or I’ll have you Saturdays as well.”

“But –”

“No excuses.” Her tone told me it was useless. “If you think I’m going to let the Animagi’s stupid code of loyalty hold back a capable student, you thought wrong!”

“That’s what this is about?” I fairly cried.

“Absolutely!” Her anger hadn’t subsided. “I will see your grades improve or I will see you in my classroom every day!”

I understood now. 

“Professor,” I said slowly, waiting for her to interrupt me. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let Ble- the Animagi distract me. It won’t happen again. I’ll do better, and I’ll get my grade up as soon as I can.”

“You’d better,” she warned, though her voice seemed to have lost its fire. “Our next exam is just two weeks from now. You did miserably on the last; you know that?”

“I know.” I felt a blush of shame. “I think I need a tutor.”

“You certainly do. And I have just the one in mind.” She wouldn’t tell me who she had asked to tutor me, but I would find out soon enough.

“Bless?” I nearly dropped my books in my surprise. “Don’t tell me you got detention, too?” 

For a fleeting moment, I imagined the code of loyalty extended to me. Then I remembered myself: I was no Animagus. I didn’t belong to the dream team, or to any team.

“No, of course not,” the lioness laughed. “I’m here to whip you into shape. Now,” she tapped her fingers expectantly on the seat to her left, and I moved hastily to join her at the desk.

“Turn to page forty-seven, and we’ll begin with the Italian sonnets.”


	6. Dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classes with them were strange, as well. It was as though a tense spring was wound around all of us, or a rubber band waiting to snap. Even though I had promised Professor Daily I would bring up my grade, I found my mind slipping to the questions that hung in all of our minds.
> 
> Was Sam in love with Elia?  
> And more importantly, was Elia a murderer?

“Ooh, you’re lucky!” Cat jeered the next morning. “Private tutoring with the Queen herself. I bet you just love that.”

“As if,” I rolled my eyes. “Bless is a total drill sergeant.”

“Really?” Jesse asked, his eyebrows raised. “I never pegged her for the bookish type.”

“Hey, she’s really smart,” I said, a bit too defensively.

“I knew it,” Cat crowed. “You do like her.” She twirled her finger coquettishly, and I felt the rocks under my feet begin to shift.

“Wow,” I pointed out. “You’re getting really good at Earthbending!” 

“Don’t change the subject,” she snapped, but I could see she was flattered.

I did a pretty decent job of separating my detention tutoring with Bless from the rest of my life, at least for the next few days. But that Saturday, a fight broke out that sent ripples through not only the dream team, but the entire Academy.

It started out with a kiss.

Not even a real kiss, just the rumor of one. From what Rachelle heard - and unlike most Psychics, ours actually shared gossip - there were whispers of a kiss between Sam and Elia. 

“The Animagi aren’t talking about it - they wouldn’t dare - but the Psychics can hear it in their thoughts. They think it happened on their journey back to Icaerys, when Elia was in Sam’s custody.”

“In his custody? Does that mean he assaul-“

“Not necessarily,” Cat countered. “She’s a dragon, and some believe she’s stronger than even Sam. She did kil- I mean, she took down a squad of soldiers sent to apprehend her; that’s why they called the headmistress.”

“So you’re saying she let Sam capture her?”

“I can’t see any other way around it,” Rachelle replied. 

“Besides,” Jesse added, “We all thought there were no other dragons, besides Sam and the Icaerys grads. I bet Elia was getting a little lonely...”

Our chatter stopped as they walked by our lunch table, Sam careful to keep a step or two behind the hijabi dragon girl. Bless was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. I had all but memorized her schedule, and she often ate her lunches outside if she wanted to take in the sun.

All eyes in the dining room were on them, and I wondered just what Sam was thinking.

Sure, there was a charm to the Yemeni girl, something secretive and alluring, but Elia couldn’t hold a candle to Bless.

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than I heard Rachelle give a small groan beside me.

Sorry.

Classes with them were strange, as well. It was as though a tense spring was wound around all of us, or a rubber band waiting to snap. Even though I had promised Professor Daily I would bring up my grade, I found my mind slipping to the questions that hung in all of our minds.

Was Sam in love with Elia?  
And more importantly, was Elia a murderer?

Strangely, we wouldn’t receive an answer in class. 

It was the dead of night, several hours before daybreak, when a piercing scream woke me from deep sleep.

It was close; it had to come from one of the Cabins.

I rushed outside, without bothering to put on shoes. The grass was damp and cool, slick under my running feet. Racing toward the direction of the scream, I faintly registered the dozens of students pouring out of their Cabins, checking on friends and sleepily asking each other what had happened. 

Not me. I kept running, hoping I would know when I got there who had screamed and why. 

I needn’t have worried. I smelled the fire before I could see its origins, and my gut instinct was that this was not the work of a Firebender.

I was right: high above my head I could make out a circling figure, wings beating heavily to keep its enormous body mid-air. 

As a dragon, Sam was a brilliant shade of green; Bless liked to tease that he was her Wizard from Emerald City. He always retorted that she was his Cowardly Lion. 

This dragon was crimson, with lustrous red scales that shone a bloody path across the sky. 

I looked around tentatively for the source of the scream. Had Elia’s transformation frightened a student? 

In an instant, I had my answer. Still in her pajamas and headscarf, Bless had emerged from the Cabin with Kyrie beside her. The younger Animagus saw me and waved me over. In the darkness, I almost missed the tears streaming down Kyrie’s face.

“Please,” she begged. “Go and get help! Sam’s hurt really bad.”

I craned my neck to see behind them through the Cabin door, but Bless yelled at me to run, and I felt my legs moving. Doctor Olwen’s chateau was across the Lawn from the Cabins; if I ran I could make it there in minutes.

I almost forgot the gigantic dragon circling above.

A good team of four or five Firebenders - Vienne and Jesse among them - had taken up the fight, but there couldn’t launch an attack from the ground. They were on the defensive, using all their force to push Elia’s flames away from the Cabins. She was too far to be reached, and it seemed all of Icaerys would soon be ablaze.

Doctor Olwen had already come out of her chateau when I caught up to her, not five minutes later. I told her in a shaky voice what had happened - Elia attacked Sam; I didn’t know how badly he was hurt or if he was alive but he needed the Doctor right now - and she joined me on the race back. 

The good Doctor was an excellent physician, but not a great runner, and she was weighed down by her black medical bag. I took it from her to speed things along, but we still moved much more slowly across the lawn.

At this point, we were also dodging fireballs left and right. 

It may seem that being a Phoenix Alchemist would make me less afraid of dying a fiery death, but I had already burned to death once, and it was hardly an experience I wanted to repeat. I had to force myself to slow down, terrified though I still was, to help Dr. Olwen along.

We almost made it, too.

Just as we approached Faunus Cabin, I could see Bless coming to meet us. The Lion Animagus was angrier than afraid, and despite the danger she walked evenly towards us. Her steadiness was a quality I typically admired, but tonight, I feared it. And with good reason -

The crimson dragon was no longer circling above; she was diving straight down at Bless.

What happened next felt like a dream. I don’t mean it was amazing or awesome or any of those hyperbolic words; I mean it felt like I was sleepwalking. I could hear my own heartbeat through the chaos as I rushed forward, my only thought to throw myself between the dragon and her target. I can’t remember opening Dr. Olwen’s bag, or taking anything out of it. 

Yet I must have, for the many metal pieces flung themselves into my hand, assembling into a sword. I felt, rather than saw, the silver hilt of the sword in my hand. Before I could pause to question it, I was plunging a solid, heavy blade into the belly of the dragon. 

When I didn’t wake up in a hospital bed, I was confused. I had truly intended to die. And I certainly never expected to find a sword in Dr. Olwen’s black medical bag; by all laws of physics, it shouldn’t have fit in there. I hadn’t expected the crimson beast to rear back, in pain, and shoot upward and away, into the night sky.

Most of all, I never expected I would stab a dragon, while trying to save Sam.

Sam! I forced myself up on wobbly legs and followed Bless and the good Doctor inside the Cabin. The Firebenders were gathering together, searching the skies to see where the dragon had gone; I left the situation to them. I dropped the sword on the ground, but as it fell, it did a thing that surprised me yet again.

The sword crumbled into tiny tongs, syringes, scalpels, and a stethoscope. I had just poured the contents from Dr. Olwen’s bag onto the lawn. Hastily stopping to scoop them up, I shook my head as if to clear water from my ears. Maybe this was a dream, and I’d soon wake up.

In the meantime, I dashed inside the Cabin, metal clanging together in my arms. 

I had to see if Sam still lived.


End file.
